The Maiden Awakens
by Akanekurochi
Summary: Day after day, everything was the same. When it finally became too much, four friends decided to make their own way to freedom. However, they weren't prepared for the stormy night that would tear them apart. Follow Ami on her own journey as she travels to save worlds and the friends she holds dear, while beginning to understand what being the Maiden of Light truly means. OC x Sora.
1. The Place Where It Begins

**Alright, so back when I was obsessed with the first game, I started writing this story. The Kingdom Hearts series are my favourite games, and being recently obsessed with Birth By Sleep, I've decided to rewrite it. :3 So let me know what you think! Now excuse me as I go write more of A Fallen Star because there's treats involved... :3**

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**Chapter One - The Place Where It Begins**

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Hearts connected by light.

_Lives connected by dark._

_Love conquers evil. Evil conquers love. _

_A story set in motion by a small collection of children._

_They pass each other, they wound each other, and yet they heal each other all in one. _

_Listen to this __story. To the hearts that bind them together; intertwined destinies on the same path, no matter what road they choose._

* * *

Destiny Islands.

To the Gods, it's probably just a speck of land that they don't even think twice of. To me, its home.

It's been home for my whole life, for the fourteen years of my existence.

Dreams of journeys and adventures, the thoughts of all children gathered onto such a small piece of land. This little island was the one place children like me could go, and just be ourselves without our parents watching over us and protecting us from harm. Protecting us from lessons we need to learn on our own. A small village like ours was like this, groups of their own age playing with others.

On this small island was the only place we could let our minds and imaginations run wild. It was our freedom.

* * *

Two girls walked along the beach of the island, talking as they searched for their friend. They had been told he was here, after spending hours searching the village.

"Hey Kairi, look." The brunette whispered to her friend, and pointed to a sleeping boy with brown hair. His name was Sora. "He was right."

In fact, after the girls had met up that morning, they asked another friend where Sora had gone. "He was heading towards the island," he had said. "Probably sleeping like always."

The two walked down towards him, slowly so they wouldn't scare him. They were both planning to startle him anyways, but he sat up, yawned, and went back to sleeping. Kairi kneeled over him before he opened his eyes.

"Whoa!" Sora shot back up, his breathing fast. I knew we had gotten him. I smiled, looking over to my friend. Kairi giggled.

"Sora, you lazy bum" she started.

"We asked around when we couldn't find you," I scolded, my hands on my hips, standing over him. He knew I was teasing with this motherly gesture. "Everyone knew that we'd find you snoozing down here."

Sora shook his head, bursting into a barely understandable explanation of why he wasn't where he was supposed to be, and about the dream that followed. "This huge, black THING swallowed me up! I couldn't breath, I couldn't -"

Kairi laughed, stopping him short. "Are you still dreaming? Silly."

I brushed my hair out of my face, the long brown strands blocking the feel of the sun. I loved the sun, and I loved the beach. Even when my father lectured me on my lack of clothing, I didn't care. Shorts, a tank top, sandals. Here, that was all I needed, even when the sun went down and it became cold, the breeze was still warm.

"It wasn't a dream!" He defended, his eyes leaving me and moving to the ocean. Like me, Sora loved the ocean. Most of my friends did, which was why we spent as much time as we could out here. Summer was ending, and we still had fall, but winter was still coming. Winter was a time, even in this tropical area, that everything was cold. Snow made the waters dangerous, and we were forbidden from going to the island. "Or was it… I don't know. I dreamed of a place… So bizarre…"

I smiled; using the time he explained his crazy dream to sit beside him, taking in the ocean like he did.

"Yeah, sure," Kairi laughed, dancing to the shore in front of us.

"Say, tell us what your hometown was like."

Turning to him, I gave him a confused look. "You're asking again?"

Kairi nodded. "I told you before that I don't remember."

"Nothing at all?"

"Nothing."

"Would you ever want to go back?"

She paused, her thoughts processing her answer. "Not that I know… Why would I want to go to a place I don't remember? Besides, I'm happy here."

Feeling like I had no part of this conversation, I began to draw shapes in the sand. I wasn't the best artist in the world, but I still loved to try. It started out as the Paopu tree on the small island ahead of me, but a quick breeze turned it into some sort of demented rabbit. I sighed.

"But you know," Kairi said just over a whisper, turning out to face the ocean. "I wouldn't mind going to see it, since I was born there…"

I nodded. "I want to see where you come from too, Kairi."

"Along with any other worlds out there!" Sora laughed, "We're going to see them all!"

Kairi giggled. "So what're we waiting for?"

Sora opened his mouth to say something clever, but the voice from a figure behind us beat him to it.

"Aren't you guys forgetting about me?"

Even knowing full well who it was, I rested my hands behind me and tilted my head upside down. Sora, along with this silver haired boy, had been my best friends far before Kairi came to the islands. Growing up, my father was a single parent and had to work a lot, so I spent a lot of time at Riku's with his parents. Because of this, Riku had become more of a big brother figure to me then a friend.

He was balancing a small log in his left hand, his right hand on his hip. While grinning, he started walking closer to us. "I guess I'm the only one working on the raft."

I smiled. "Why would we do any work when you're around?"

He rolled his eyes and tossed the log to an unprepared Sora. We laughed.

"The two of you are just as lazy as he is," Riku scolded, but with a smile still on his face.

Sora complained about Riku's comment, telling us it wasn't his fault that school drained his energy.

"It's the middle of summer!" I laughed. He whined about two months being not enough time for a teenager to recuperate, and Kairi commented on his lack of homework skills.

"Once the raft is done, we won't need to worry about school anymore," Riku said. We agreed in silence, all imagining no more lectures, teachers or homework. A journey with my closest friends, that's all I wanted. Everything else just came with it.

"Alright, let's go finish it together!" Kairi giggled, dragging us from our minds. "I'll race you!"

"What?" Riku complained, having just taken his seat at my other side. "Are you kidding?"

Kairi shook her head. "Nope. The first one to touch the door past the bridge doesn't have to do as much today."

Before she could tell the two boys to go, they had already kicked up the sand and were racing out of sight. I coughed, choking on the small particles. Once I was okay, I stood and followed Kairi, who had already gone after them.

* * *

By the time the sun had started to set, we were already sitting by the Paopu Tree on our small parent-free inlet. We did this often, almost every time the weather was nice. Sora and Kairi were both sitting on the tree with Riku leaning against it and me at the end sitting against the base.

The three of them were talking, almost the same conversation they've had every night since we started the raft. I never tried to join in, just listened. A while ago I had tried to draw this scene, the way the color from the sun lit up the sky and the clouds. It hadn't turned out anything like what I saw before me. I knew I was going to try again before tomorrow. I wanted to bring a piece of home with me.

"So… Kairi's home is out there somewhere, right?" Sora asked.

"Could be. We'll never know by staying here."

As they talked more, I felt my mind wonder. Riku had first told us about his idea of other worlds after Kairi came to the island. We decided that we'd wait until we were old enough, and now that we were, we wanted nothing more than to explore the outside world.

"But how far could a raft take us?"

"Who knows? If we have to, we'll think of something else."

I suddenly had this image of us stuck in the middle of the ocean, everyone panicking and trying to paddle back to shore. The humorous thought escaped my lips. Riku asked what was so funny, and I smiled and told them. They shared in my laughter.

We spent the next passing minutes just watching the water, before Kairi giggled and started up the conversation again. "So, suppose you do get to another world. What would you do there?"

Riku stopped, probably thinking of his answer. "Well, I haven't really thought about it. It's just…" He looked at them before turning to look down at me. I could feel my head tilt a little when our eyes met, a habit that came up when I was interested or confused. Riku chuckled. "If there are any other worlds out there, why did we end up on this one? And suppose there are other worlds… then ours is just a little piece of something much greater. So we could have just as easily ended up somewhere else, right?"

"I don't know." Sora shrugged, placing his hands behind his head.

"It's possible," I said quietly. "Kairi came here from somewhere else, and someone has left the islands before."

The parents always denied it when we asked them questions about the child who had left the islands a long time ago. Many thought it was just a rumor to scare children from misbehaving, while some wanted to know more. Riku had always been in the group who wanted to know more about it, and I had once asked my father about it. Of course, I didn't get anywhere with that.

"Exactly. That's why we need to go out there and find out. Just sitting here won't change a thing. It's always the same old stuff, day after day. So let's go."

We fell silent again for a couple more minutes, letting his words sink in.

"You've been thinking more about this lately, haven't you?" Kairi finally asked.

Riku nodded and turned to her. "Thanks to you. If you hadn't come here, I probably would have never thought of any of this. So Kairi, thanks."

Kairi laughed nervously. "You're welcome."

Sora added his own comments to the conversation, lighting up the mood a little. As they laughed, I was glad they didn't notice the look on my face as realization finally hit me.

* * *

"What's wrong?"

I looked up from my plate, noticing that someone had been talking to me. My father sighed and raised his eyebrows from across the dinner table. "It's nothing."

"You've barely touched your meal, sweetheart. Something has to be wrong."

I didn't answer and looked back at my plate. He was always able to read me, and it was next to impossible to hide anything.

"Does this have anything to do with the bag I found under your bed this morning? When I checked after you got home, it was back in the closet."

See? Nothing gets by him. I had taken the bag out early in the morning and started to pack while he had been asleep. "It's not a big deal."

"Don't lie to me, Amila." No one really used my full name, my father just used it on rare occasions. Like when he knew I was lying or when I was in trouble. "Did something happen?" He rested his chin on his hand, playing with the brown beard he'd finally started to grow. He was a young father, just turning thirty three. After a minute of thinking, he grinned and snapped his fingers. "I bet you were planning to stay over at Kairi's, right? What happened? Did she cancel?"

Even though that wasn't exactly what was going on, I decided to go with it. Better he think it's a sleepover gone wrong than his daughter changing her mind about running away.

When I didn't answer, his smile fell to a frown. "Is it because of those boys? Did they do something?"

I managed to pull him away from that idea before it turned into something worse. It wasn't their fault, or even Kairi's. It was mine. He seemed a little suspicious at first, but eventually changed the subject.

After all, some things you just can't forget.

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The dream always starts out the same.

_In… hand… this…_

Shapes, dark faceless figures clashing against each other. Voices and names I can never remember. Clouded words behind the darkness.

_So… you have…_

Pain, eating away at my heart. Tears that fall into an endless abyss. Words that escape my lips that I have never said.

… _through this… of taking…_

And a girl; her face I never get to see, just her hair and white dress flowing against the darkness.

Someone reaches out to her, but I always wake up. The dream never changes, never gives away anything that would tell me what's going on or who they are. Just an endless loop.

… _its wielder… one day be._

* * *

I stretched, feeling the wind through my hair and the wet sand at my feet. Kairi and I had met up back at the main island, but she had gone ahead to look at the raft. I had decided to take off my shoes and stand in the ocean, an action that always managed to calm me down. As I waited for Riku and Sora, I tried to clear my mind and think.

Tomorrow was the day we planned to leave. The raft had been finished yesterday, and today we were going to gather food and fresh water.

I wanted so much to go with them.

"Ami?"

Sora was on the shore, smiling when I saw him. I smiled back and stepped onto the beach, cleaning my feet before putting my sandals on. I told him that Kairi was waiting for us, so we agreed to go together.

Sora eventually broke the silence after we walked for a minute. Apparently I was just being an open book with my emotions, as hard as I was trying to hide it. "You okay? You seem really tired."

I smiled and tried to erase whatever he saw. "I'm okay. I was so excited I could barely sleep last night."

Sora watched me for a while, as if trying to find anything that could lead to a lie. After finding nothing, he grinned and agreed. "I know what you mean. It'll be great, once we set sail. Just the four of us!"

When I saw the excitement in his blue eyes, I felt horrible. I should tell him the truth, tell him why I couldn't sleep and why I was lying. Just tell him, my heart screamed. You'll ruin everything, logic yelled back. By the time my logic and my heart had finished arguing and I had opened my mouth to say something, Kairi had seen us and called us over. Sora ran to her without a second thought, and I followed seconds later. Logic had won.

I didn't want to be a burden.

"Here's the list of things we still need," Kairi told us.

As Sora and I read over the list, we decided to split the work. He would get some mushrooms and some fish, while I would gather some eggs, coconuts and fresh drinking water. I wondered how long that stuff would last, but knew it couldn't get too heavy.

"Hey Sora." We turned, only to see a familiar silver haired boy with a mischievous look on his face. "You know, we still need a name for the raft."

Sora grinned, understanding the meaning behind Riku's words. When he turned towards us, I giggled and shook my head. "Don't look at me like that; I don't want any part of this." I asked Kairi if she did, and her reply was the same.

Sora thought for a minute. "I think we should name it Highwind. What do you think?"

"I like Excalibur."

"How 'bout?"

"The usual?"

I looked from one boy to another, and then offered to referee. Whenever the two of them couldn't agree to something, they would race around the island. It was always a competition with them. Kairi and I never wanted to take part, so we always watched instead.

The two of us took our position at what we decided to be both the starting and finishing line. The boys seemed like they were talking, probably placing bets on what the winner would get.

When we shouted go, Riku had taking off with a flustered Sora chasing after him.

"Riku, that's not fair!"

* * *

Later that night, I was afraid to sleep. I had tried to pack again, to change my mind, but I couldn't. If I fell asleep, everything I knew would end so much faster. The thought made my stomach turn and my heart clench. Would I ever be able to recover from this?

I sighed and placed my sketchbook back on the bedside table. I couldn't focus on anything with my thoughts spinning like they were. I noticed the lights in the hall were still on. I knew my father was still up, waiting for me to fall asleep. He was always worried about me.

A crash of thunder startled me and made me jump. Confused with the sudden change of weather, I pushed the curtains aside and looked out the window. I could see our island well from my window.

Panicking, I flew off the bed and changed my clothes. I had to get to the island; I had to save the raft from the storm that circled above. If something had happened to it, my friends would never be free. My father called my name and tried to grab me as I ran past. Dangerous or not, I needed to do something.

When I got to the island, I realized I wasn't the only one who had the idea to check on the raft. Three other boats were tied to the docks, but I couldn't see anyone else. I called out names as I fumbled through the darkness, using the light of the storm to guide my way. A figure ran past the wooden shack, someone I couldn't make out. I started running to catch them, but tripped on the sand.

I tried to stand, only to realize that I hadn't really tripped. Something was curled around my ankle, pulling me down.

_So much to do…_

The voice made me panic, kicking at the thing that had a grip on me. It was like my dream, the voices and the darkness. I could feel myself shake, hear myself whimper.

_So little time…_

Something pulled at my wrist, pulling me further.

_The door is still shut…_

I looked at what held me, strands of black crawling up my arm, seeping into my skin. I struggled, trying to pull them off of me.

_Take it easy._

I couldn't. It was pulling me so deep into the hole, I couldn't feel anything. Not even the tears that left my eyes as I screamed. I was so scared.

_Don't be scared._

I could no longer see. It was like I was being pulled apart from the inside, wanting me in different directions. With one final tug towards the light, the force let me go.

The last thing I could remember was sinking into the darkness.

_One day, we will be together again._

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Alright, so there's the first chapter. :3 Please Rate and Review!

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**Chapter One – The Place Where It Begins**


	2. A New World

**Here's the second chapter! It was originally supposed to be two chapters, but I thought what the heck. Also, sorry if the Disney World in this seems a little rushed, but I really just wanted it out. xD Please review~**

**~ Akane**

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**Chapter Two - A New World  
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Falling.

Deeper and deeper I fell into the abyss, whispers of darkness brushing against my skin. I felt empty, cold, like there was nothing to look for. No ray of hope that could pull me to where I wanted to be.

Where was that? Where did I want to be? I couldn't remember anything. It was too much; I closed my eyes and surrendered to the force that pulled me further away from what I had known.

Who was I?

_Everyone takes a different path._

My eyes snapped open. I knew that voice. I cried out, reaching for even a single part of me.

_Through a web of choices, you must choose your own._

The more I struggled, the more the darkness suffocated me. It wanted to hold me there, keep me from remembering.

_The darkness is a dangerous thing._

I wanted, _needed_ to remember the things that held me to the light.

_Your friends will not always be there to help you._

Slowly, I started to picture them. I could hear their laughter, picture their smiling faces. I knew they weren't with me, but I could still feel them.

_Even still, they will always be inside your heart. _

The light started small, but grew until it blinded me. I could feel it warm my body, reminding me of times wasted under the sun.

_Hold them close and you will forever be protected. _

I let it soak into my bones. I loved this feeling. Riku teased me once when I had fallen asleep in the sun, leaving my skin red for days. Sora admitted to thinking I was just more embarrassed than normal. Kairi had told him he might not be far off. We argued as they laughed.

The more of them I saw in my memories, the more the darkness faded away. My body lowered onto a surface, and I took the chance to look around. The stain glass floor I was standing on had a mixture of colors and shapes, creating pictures. A figure in a white dress, her arms at her side and tied in chains. Her long hair flowing in curls and covering her face.

It was the girl from my dreams.

I tried to make out the other shapes in the glass. As I walked around though, I realized that the floor was getting darker. It spread from my shadow, twisting and growing, changing into a shape of its own. It grew with each step I took back, until it towered high above me. The twisting shapes formed a body, the ends melting into hands and feet. The creature hissed and growled as its face formed, clutching at the center of its body. I watched as a hole formed underneath its hand, the darkness bubbling at the edges and vanishing before touching the ground.

My heart raced as it faced me. I had nowhere to go, backed against the edge of the platform. I would either fall to my death or be devoured by this monster.

_There are keys that save the worlds._

The voice's return gave me no comfort. I was going to die. I was going to leave everything behind.

_And there are keys that destroy them. _

The creature's hand reached out to me, scratching the air in front of my body. Though even as it closed in, it could not touch me.

_Your key, however, holds the brightest light. _

Slowly, I watched the chain around my neck begin to glow, floating into the air and bringing the small charm in sight. I raised my hands to touch the small diamond shaped charm, the red stone shining brighter the closer my fingers got to it. When the light became too much, I cupped my hands around it and let the warmth tickle my skin.

_Only the Maiden can call to the Key of Hearts._

The monster moved away, afraid of my light.

_It will come to you when you call it._

"Keyblade," I whispered with the voice.

With that, everything disappeared.

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The gasp of air woke me from my sleep, my limbs flailing to stop myself from drowning. After a few seconds I realized I wasn't underwater and let myself catch my breath. My body started to adjust to the sights and the smells. I was inside, but not in a building I had seen before. The walls were round, closing in to a point above. My noise twitched as I sat up, disturbing the dust as I moved. I looked around, confused. The room, if it could be called that, was small and empty. The bed was hard, the floor was dirt. Where was I?

"You're awake!"

The voice made me jump, bringing my hands to my chest like some sort of protective instinct. Part of the wall had been folded to the side, creating a door. The figure standing there stared at me with wide purple eyes and a giant grin on her face. She started talking, but I couldn't keep up with the pace and got distracted by her appearance.

This girl was like a picture straight from a fantasy story. Her hair matched her eyes, the shorter pieces loose with her bangs, the rest tied into a high ponytail. Her top consisted of a dark blue fabric that started under her breasts and wrapped around her neck. It left her shoulders bare, but it continued again at her elbows and ended around her middle fingers. Leather belts attached to her shirt crisscrossed over her stomach and her back. Her shorts were tight, another belt around her waist. Other than her knee high combat boots, the rest of her outfit consisted of random trinkets including bangles on her left hand and a small pouch on her right leg.

The two things that amazed me most were her ears, pointed like the elves I had seen in books, and the swords tied on each hip. There were two of them, matching swords that were about twenty eight inches in length. They had beautifully carved golden handles, decorated with silver, held in simple dark sheaths. I could see traces of silver writing on the sheaths, but it was a language I didn't understand.

"—and I'm sorry about that."

I blinked, remembering that the girl had been talking to me. She placed her hands on her hips and stared, before bursting into laughter.

"I've waited all this time to be able to talk to you, and you probably didn't even get a word of that."

"Who are you?" I asked, watching as she stepped closer to me. "Where is this?"

She smiled. In the next few seconds after that, I felt my heart calm and the atmosphere change. Something about this girl didn't make me afraid and told me it was okay to trust her. I would still be weary, encase this was a trick, but I wanted to believe there was someone who could help me figure out what was going on.

"My name is Nara," she introduced herself, placing a hand on her chest to emphasize the point. "I have been journeying through worlds looking for the one who could help me save my home, along with many other worlds."

Other worlds? Is that where I was? "You mean… I'm on another world?" She nodded, letting me sort through my thoughts. I frowned. "Then… what happened to my world? My home?"

I reached up to my heart and clutched my shirt as the pain shot through me. I had made it, sitting here on an unknown world, but what about my friends? What about my father, and the other families on the island?

"If you're here, then it must have been taking by the Heartless."

"Heartless?"

Nara took a seat on the floor in front of me, preparing to answer my questions. "They are creatures without a heart, who feed in those who do. When darkness calls Heartless to a world, they are driven to find the core, the heart of the world. If they find it, they'll feed on it until the world is consumed by darkness."

I remembered the darkness that pulled me away from my home. "What happens to the world? Or the people who live there?"

A look flashed across her face, vanishing before I could place it. "All I know is the world disappears, and the star that represents it blinks out of existence. Only those with the strongest hearts remain."

I couldn't think of anything to say. What if I never saw the people who meant the most to me again?

Nara continued. "I know how you must feel right now." She gave me a small, comforting smile. "My world was taken from me; my family, my life, everything. When I woke up, I didn't know where I was, and the idea drove the darkness to me. For a while, I had given up on everything, until I met someone who changed that. He told me that the worlds could be saved and the people revived, with the help of someone who could wield a Keyblade. Apparently that art died out, unless I could find one called the Maiden of Heart."

"Keyblade? Maiden of Heart?"

She nodded again, standing and walking beside my makeshift bed. I watched her open the wooden chest and pull out an item wrapped in cloth, tied together at the ends. My heart fluttered to life the second it had come into view.

The item itself was around three feet long, but I couldn't tell what it was. With every step she took towards me, my arms were raising to receive it.

"You were fighting with this when I found you, but it didn't seem like you were even aware of what was going on. The Heartless were so drawn to your emotions, I had to take this away from you. You fell asleep afterward."

Nara let the item rest in my hands. The initial weight of it surprised me, being lighter than it seemed. I held my breath and began to untie the strings holding the cloth.

Ignoring the click of Nara's swords, I removed the covering, and instantly everything I had known before disappeared with the touch of power.

In my hands was a weapon, the name Keyblade obvious in its appearance. The red handle curved and shifted around the handgrip, melting into the blade. I traced the end of the weapon with my fingers, feeling around its blunt edges and making out the heart shapes carved out of the blade. The weapon had markings repeated over the whole surface, noticeable only when tilted in the light. Connected to the handle was a chain, the charm at the end a heart with a white wing on each side of it.

I looked to Nara, watching her face relax and her hands move from her swords. "Sorry. Just taking precautions encase you attracted the Heartless again, but it looks like you've calmed down."

"This is called a Keyblade?" I moved the weapon around in my hands, raising it closer to my face. "This is mine?"

Nara nodded. "Yep. All yours. The Key of Hearts."

I could see how it was called that. "The one who has this… what did you call them?"

She chuckled. "The Key of Hearts belongs to the Maiden, but wielding a Keyblade alone makes you a Keyblade Master. It's a lot to take in, and I'm probably not the best one to explain this to you. Although I can't take you to him until I finish my business here."

"Where's here? This is a new world, right?"

She nodded again. "There's only one person on this world who knows we don't belong here, and he's the chief of this camp. Everyone else thinks we're just travelers, so make sure you don't mention anything."

I watched her walk closer to me, resting her hands on mine and telling me to close my eyes. "Concentrate. It is part of you; it'll come to you when you call it."

While my eyes were closed, I pictured the weapon. It whispered to me, not in words but in waves of feeling, and vanished. When I opened my eyes, the weapon was gone, though its presence remained in my mind.

She smiled and pulled me to my feet. I needed her at first to keep my balance, until I could take the steps on my own.

The strangest thing was when I realized I wasn't wearing what I had on the island. The idea was the same, but everything had become more complicated. The same red shirt, but my stomach had fabric wrapped around it, and a couple pieced flowing down my sides. My capris were slightly tighter, for easier and quicker movement, and still ending above my ankles. I was wearing shoes now, matching the fabric around my waist. Belts crisscrossed the front of my pants, a pouch on each hip, much like Nara. She handed me a pair of matching fingerless gloves, saying they help release stress on the hands when fighting. Wherever she was from, some of her fashion must have also thrown itself at me. I didn't understand how it was so easy to move in such complicated clothing.

"Come on, let's go."

I blinked, pulling myself back to her. She motioned for me to follow her out the makeshift door.

* * *

His fingers twitched, his body shifted. He could sense the power, could feel it echo through the worlds and the Lane's Between. He could taste it on his tongue as he called out a name.

It was time.

He heard the approaching figure and tilted his head, drumming his fingers on the seat.

"Yes, Master?"

His words whispered quickly as he repeated his command. The figure, clad in black, nodded. He stopped the figure from removing his hood, waving him from sight.

"Master, I found the boy." The figure was determined to say what he needed to.

Turning to the figure, his lips twisted into a grin. How long has it been? How long has he waited? With one final command, he sent the figure on his way and rose to his feet.

The pieces were finally falling into place.

* * *

"Can't we stop?"

"Not yet, you're so close to getting it."

I sighed, tempted just to collapse and give up.

For the last few hours, Nara had been trying to teach me the basics in fighting, without using the keyblade. She had given me one of her swords, still in sheath, and said I needed to get used to that first. The feel of the sword wasn't the same as the Keyblade, and it didn't feel as natural. My body ached, my fingers almost making it impossible to hold the grip. Growing up, I only watched the boys play with their toy swords, and I doubted I would have been any better at this if I had.

I shut my eyes and prepared for the hit, but it never came, and I lowered my guard. Nara was smiling. "What?"

She stepped towards me and offered her hand out to take the sword. "You're getting better. It's getting dark now though, so we should call it a night."

I smiled back and followed her towards the camp we had been in earlier. I still didn't know much about other worlds, so I followed her lead and mimicked her moves. She seemed to know what the villagers were saying and could communicate with them.

We arrived at the same tent as before, greeted by girl sitting in the tent. She jumped up and started a conversation with Nara, before turning and talking to me. I tried to listen to her, until the purple haired girl on the other side called out to her to stop.

"I'm sorry, I didn't even think of this." She reached down to the pouch on her right leg, pulling not an object from the insides, but what appeared to be a trail of shining dust. It stuck to her fingers as she lifted it towards me. Nara unnecessarily flicked her fingers and the particles attacked my face. I coughed and tried to brush them off, but Nara grabbed my hands and told me to relax.

I closed my eyes as the dust crinkled my nose and I waited for anything to change. Nothing did.

"What did you do to her?" A new voice questioned.

Nara laughed. "Oh, she's fine. She just needed a little luck."

My eyes blinked open, seeing the same scenery before me. My throat tingled as I began to speak, "What was that?"

She smiled, ignoring me and turning to the other girl. "Ami, this is Pocahontas."

The girl was older than us by several years, her hair long and black, matching her eyes and tan skin. She was wearing the same style of clothing as the others. Pocahontas fiddled with her necklace before she stepped closer to me. "I'm honoured to meet you. You also wear strange clothes; I'm still not used to the surprises you outsiders bring."

I smiled, earning a smile in return. "It's nice to meet you, Pocahontas."

"Daughter, are you here?"

We turned, seeing an older man push aside the fabric of the door. He reminded me of my father, the way his face lit up when he looked at who I was guessing was his own daughter. When he noticed Nara and I, however, his face dropped.

"I thought I told you to leave my village, pale face, and instead you bring another stranger here."

Nara bowed her head respectfully. "Forgive me, but we won't stay much longer."

"Father, Nara and her friend have done nothing wrong. You know that Nara is even popular among the people."

Nara's smile grew at Pocahontas' words. "What can I say? I'm likeable."

"The villagers have been scared since the arrival of the other strangers. There is too much to deal with already."

"Chief Powhatan," Nara started, almost as if she was unsure how to address the situation. "I swear we will leave once we find something important."

Eventually the man told us we could stay a little longer, leading Pocahontas away so they could talk.

Nara sighed. "We should hurry and find the keyhole." She turned to me. "Soon, those strangers won't be the only thing this world needs to worry about."

* * *

Something didn't feel right.

It was almost as if the universe was whispering at me, telling me something was coming. The warning crawled through my skin and sent shivers down my spine. Nara noticed I was slowing down, and called for me to keep up with her.

"So what is it we're looking for?" I asked, trying to distract my mind.

"The Keyhole. It's the only thing that protects the heart of each world from the Heartless, and only a Keyblade Master can lock the Keyhole. We need to find it soon."

Pocahontas had told us that she had met one of the strangers, finding out they were here to claim the land to search for gold. Both sides were afraid of the other, of the unknown. I had asked Nara if there was any way we could help, but she had said not to get involved with the matters of other worlds.

Now we were heading deeper into the forest, searching for a place she had been before with Pocahontas, who said she would be joining us when she could slip away from her father.

Nara stopped and looked around, searching for the way to go. I shivered again; we needed to get away from here. I called her name. She turned to me, her face serious and understanding. I knew she could feel them too.

"This is it," Nara coached, standing next to me, her back to mine. "Focus and let the Keyblade guide you."

Even before I thought of the weapon, the Keyblade flashed into my hands. I was amazed how light it felt compared to Nara's swords, but the thought was cut short with the sight that appeared before us. Swirls of darkness appeared in the ground, bubbling and spitting until the creatures began to crawl out.

These were the Heartless. It was because of these things that my world was gone.

Without another word between us, we jumped into battle.

I collapsed on the ground, trying to catch my breath. The Keyblade disappeared now that it wasn't needed. Nara, who had only used one of her swords, placed it back in her sheath and smiled. "Fun, aren't they?"

I looked at her like she was crazy, and she laughed at me. "Don't worry, you'll get used to it."

"You were amazing." I managed to get out. "It doesn't even look like you're tired at all."

Her smile faded for only a second, as if she was remembering something. "My world required me to know how to take care of myself."

Nara helped me to my feet. "As I said, you'll get used to it. You did great your first time."

I smiled at her as we continued on our way. I liked her, and I liked having someone know what I was supposed to do. I didn't know anything, just a girl from a small unknown world.

"This is it." She pulled away a layer of vines, revealing a beautiful spot behind it. It was like a giant canopy of trees and vines, a willow tree hovering over the water. Sitting in front of the tree was Pocahontas and a man we didn't recognize. In a second, the man had risen to his feet, flashing a small knife towards us. His clothes were simple in comparison to ours, with blond hair and blue eyes.

Nara looked at the tiny blade and raised an eyebrow. "How old are you?"

Before the man could retort, Pocahontas had reached out to pull on his arm. "It's alright, they are my friends."

"Friends?" he asked, looking between her and us. "They don't look like Indians."

"That's because we're not, Captain Obvious."

"My name is Ami, and this is Nara." I interrupted, trying to pull his attention from Nara and her sudden hostility. "We're just visitors, like you."

The man reached out to shake my hand, which I did while earning a look from Pocahontas. "John Smith. Are you both here for gold? Where did you travel from?"

"We're not here for gold…" I started, but unsure of how to continue I turned to my companion. She shrugged, leaving me to create an answer. I was saved, however, by a pair of voices calling for Smith in the forest.

"Smith! Where are you?"

John turned to look at Pocahontas. "More friends of yours?"

She shook her head.

"I was afraid of that."

The four of us hid behind the willow, staying out of sight. It didn't take long before they were spooked by something in the forest and decided to run back to camp.

Nara smirked once they were gone. "Some people are always good for a laugh."

My eyes were fixed on the willow tree, staring at the smooth round service just above us. Did this tree bring back memories? Or was it something else? Even as I tried to process what was going through my brain, a face materialized into the wood and smiled down at us.

I screamed.

Pocahontas started to calm me down and was telling me Grandmother Willow was the spirit of the tree. Nara rested a hand and my shoulder and was telling me something, but I couldn't take my eyes away from tree. "Child, do not be afraid."

John chuckled. "It does take a little time to get used to a talking tree, trust me."

Grandmother Willow reached out with one of her vines to touch my cheek. "You have a strong heart, child. Don't ever lose sight of what is important."

I smiled, sensing how wise and pure the soul of the tree was. "Thank you."

"Ami." I turned to Nara, her face serious again. "They're coming."

The fear in my heart was enough to tell me she was right, so I nodded. Pocahontas didn't understand what was going on, but the Heartless appeared before we could properly explain it.

"You two run and find a place to hide!" I told them, summoning the Keyblade.

Once the two had disappeared from our sight, we turned towards the enemy.

* * *

"Pocahontas, what happened?"

She turned to us, her face stricken with fear. After we finished off the heartless, we went to find the two that had ran away. Deeper in the forest we found Pocahontas standing in a clearing. John was nowhere to be found.

"Kocoum was just coming to protect me… but those things…" I tried to comfort her while Nara looked around. It was a weird feeling, trying to calm down someone older than you. "They blamed him and took him away…"

"The Heartless got to him alright." Nara explained when we were out of earshot. We had managed to bring Pocahontas back to Grandmother Willow, who was trying to calm the girl down. "I knew him; Pocahontas' father wanted them to marry."

"He came out here to look for her? Then he must have seen them together…" I couldn't imagine how he this Kocoum would've felt, seeing the one he was to marry with someone else.

Nara nodded. "I'm guessing his jealously is what attracted the heartless to him."

Something tugged at my heart, but I pushed the feeling aside. "Is there anything we can do?"

"They're going to kill him at sunrise," Pocahontas whispered. "There's nothing we can do."

"We have to stop them," I tried. I wasn't going to just stand here and be completely useless while an innocent life was threatened. "They need to know the truth."

Grandmother Willow reached out with her vines, trying to show an object to Pocahontas. "Child, remember your dreams?"

"I was wrong; I followed the wrong path. Oh, I feel so lost."

Realizing that she wasn't going to take the object, the old tree gave it to me instead. I played with the item in my hand, tapping on the glass with my nails and watching the arrow twitch. "It's a compass."

Pocahontas looked at me, her eyes wide with thought. "John's compass?" I showed it to her. "The spinning arrow?"

"It's the arrow from your dream!"

After the tree spoke, it was like everything had changed. Pocahontas had hope in her eyes as she watched the arrow on the compass. "I was right! It _was_ pointing to him!"

I closed my eyes and felt the wind circle us and tickle my skin. It tugged at us, pulling us in the same direction. My heart skipped when warmth brushed over my face. "Sunrise!"

Before another word was spoken, Pocahontas stood and nodded to us, running towards the sun.

"Come on, they won't be able to do anything if the Heartless show up." Knowing Nara was right, we quickly followed after her.

* * *

"No!"

My heart raced as my body moved on its own.

The two sides stared each other down, ready to kill. We were the only thing that stood between them; two teenage girls and the mixed couple. John, with his hands tied behind him, was resting on a rock and Pocahontas had her arms wrapped around him. Nara stood between them and John's men, her swords drawn and ready. When I finally took notice to where I was, I was standing in front of Chief Powhatan, my arms out to the side. His weapon was up, ready to strike. His face full of annoyance and a disapproving look that my father used to give me. The part of me that wanted to run away was rooted to the spot.

"Move aside." Chief Powhatan called out to us. Both sides were unsure of how to move, waiting for their orders.

A large man stood in front of John's men, his clothing more expensive and obvious than the others. He had to be the leader.

"No. If you want to kill him, you'll have to kill me too."

"Daughter, stand back!"

"No!" She said again, as strong as her will. No one moved. "I won't. I love him, Father."

Silence passed, before Powhatan opened his moved to command his daughter once more. I stopped him with my own words. "Look around you. All of your hearts are full of unnecessary hatred, but neither side is to blame! There is no real difference between you both, since your hearts are the same."

"Listen to her, Father. Look at where that path of hatred has brought us. This is the path that I choose. What will be yours?"

I watched the emotions on his face change, the anger melting to a sort of calm. Powhatan looked around, from his own people to the other side. It didn't take him long to lower his weapon and smile down at his daughter. "I understand." He raised his voice to address those around us. "My daughter and her friends speak with pure hearts, clean of anger and darkness. From this day forth, if there is to be more killing, it will not start with me."

Powhatan turned to John and Pocahontas. "Release him."

The words had barely escaped his lips by the time Nara had cut his ropes with her blades.

Behind us, the large man was barking orders at his men, telling them to attack anyways. As more men disagreed with his decision, his body became surrounded with a black glow, the darkness curling off of him.

"Nara?" I whispered, hearing my voice crack. She turned away from the joyful scene of the couple and turned to look at the man.

"Well, that's not good."

"Fine!" The man cried out, his voice echoing with the darkness that was eating him. "I'll settle this myself!" He ripped a gun from the man beside him, pointing it towards the unaware chief. Many shouts were drowned out by the sound of the gun, but John fell to it instead.

"Everyone, run!" Nara screamed to them, but the watchers had already begun to scatter.

The man's body twisted as he cackled, the darkness changing him into something else. Nara warned me that he was no longer human, a Heartless now, but her warning was not needed. The giant black bear-like creature in front of me was enough of a clue on its own.

Nara was the first to jump towards it, only one sword in hand, the other glowing with her magic. It swiped at her, missing by only a few inches. When it moved again, she jumped on its arm, snapping when she was close to its face, her fire creating an explosion. The creature screeched as I ran to its side, using the distraction to swipe at its feet with my Keyblade. It was a repetitive action, but one that weakened it enough so we could take it down. When it swiped at us again, I ran at it instead, the Keyblade ripping through it. It vanished in a puff of black smoke, releasing a heart that disappeared just as fast.

Tired but accomplished, we headed back to the village to see what damage had been done.

* * *

"How are we going to know where it is?"

Nara shrugged, looking around the base of the tree. Grandmother Willow had yet to appear. "We'll just have to look for it."

While the boat and its crewmen prepared for their long journey home, Pocahontas had agreed to come with us to search for the Keyhole while her people gathered food. She seemed nervous being away from John, wounded by the man I learned had been called Ratcliffe. We had explained the situation of the Heartless to Powhatan, who had told us of a story passed down from the generations before him. A magical seal protected by the spirit of the forest that watched over her their people. Immediately we all thought of the old wise tree, and we had ended up here.

The feeling I had before when near the tree had returned. When I had described the feeling to Nara, she suggested I was sensing the heart of the world and it was pulling me to it.

Pocahontas pulled something from the pouch at her hip and offered it to me. "The compass?"

She smiled. "It helped me when I needed guidance, maybe it will help you."

I watched the small arrow twitch and turn, as if unsure of where to point. However when I opened my mouth to say something was wrong, the small item began to glow and rose from my hands. Keyblade in hand, I followed the item to the tree, pointing it towards where Grandmother Willow's face would normally appear. The surface shifted, revealing what I knew was the Keyhole. The blade shone, followed by a loud click that echoed through the forest.

The compass rested in Pocahontas' hands and the light faded.

"Thank you, child." We turned to see Grandmother Willow's face appear back on the tree. "It's will easier for me to keep those annoying whippersnappers away now."

I smiled. That sounded like something the older woman who lived across from us would always say. Pushing the thoughts of home aside, I turned towards the others as we decided to head back.

"Is he going to be alright?" I later asked Thomas, one of John's men. When asked who we were, John simple told them we were friends of Pocahontas. They seemed slightly suspicious of us, but stayed silent.

Nara was sitting on the end of the small boat that John was lying in, talking to him about something I couldn't hear.

Thomas looked towards them. "The sooner he returns to England, the better." He turned back to me. Thank you." I blinked, confused by his words. "It was because you and your friend stopped that monster that we're still alive."

He walked towards the small boat, leaving me to my thoughts. All I had wanted was to find my friends, but there was so much more to this. People were in danger, and those creatures were to blame. Saving them seemed the same as saving my home.

I walked closer to the others. "Is it about time for you to leave?"

Nara nodded. "Their boat is almost ready."

John, weak from pain, slightly shook his head. "Not yet. She said she'd be here."

Barely a minute later Pocahontas and several of the villagers appeared from the trees. Nara pulled me away while the couple said their goodbyes.

"Have you put any thought into what you're going to do now?" She asked.

I tore my eyes away from them and looked at her. "I can't stay here. I want to go with you, to help in any way I can while I search for my friends."

Nara nodded. "You're going to need my ship in order to travel to other worlds, and I need your help." She reached her hand out towards me and smiled. "It doesn't hurt to help each other, right?"

Returning her smile, I shook her hand. It was comforting, knowing I didn't have to be as alone as I felt.

We watched the boat sail off into the distance, and later that night said our goodbyes to Pocahontas and her father.

* * *

"Sora, what is it?"

The brown haired boy looked up, a frown on his face. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Something's wrong… but I don't know what."

His companions turned to each other, confused. Ignoring them, he pulled an item from his pocket, playing with it between his fingers. When asked what it was, he held the charm by its chains to let them see. The fruit shaped charm shone with the reflection of the moon outside their Gummi Ship. "It's a special charm."

What was he feeling? As he tried to put how he felt into words, Sora didn't take his eyes off the charm.

The two realized that he was distracted and decided to leave him be.

* * *

**So there you go! Please Review! :3**


	3. The Boy With Silver Hair

**Yay a new chapter~ So after having family over for the last month, I've finally been able to write the next chapter! The next chapter of Tsunagaru and A Fallen Star are almost done, but don't forget; ever time you review I get a little further!**

**Please read and review!**

**~ Akane**

**P.S. Please read this in the 1/2 format~ I find it makes it a lot better to read~!**

* * *

**Chapter Three - The Boy With Silver Hair  
**

* * *

"Hey, can you hear me?"

The voice cut through my sleep, pulling me away from the warm sun and smiling faces. When my eyes finally adjusted, I could see her smiling back at me from the driver's seat. "Good morning, Sunshine."

I looked around, remembering where I was. After saying goodbye to Pocahontas and her father, Nara had led me into the forest telling me our 'ride' was hidden. I hadn't realized what she meant until I had walked into a force that was not there. Ignoring my pain, she had gone on to explain that the machine enabled travel between worlds, and could not be seen by inhabitants of the worlds they travelled. The outside of the Gummi Ship, as she called it, was small and colourful. The inside was still colourful, but could fit at least three passengers.

The movement had made me ill at first, but the excitement of the space between the worlds was enough to distract me. So many stars decorated the space, making me aware how many worlds were truly out there, and made me wonder how many had disappeared already. The sight made me so nostalgic of home, of nights sitting at my window drawing these same stars. I was so far away now, but this was one thing that seemed to stay the same.

Were my friends looking at these stars too?

I wondered when I had fallen asleep. Expecting to see those stars again, I looked out the window and was slightly disappointed.

Once she led me outside, I felt a little more excited. The world seemed smaller than Pocahontas', confined between the walls of what Nara had called 'Traverse Town'. I saw a restaurant to the left of us, a large door to the right, and a staircase leading to another shop ahead of me. It was all very simple, but still unlike I had ever seen before. The people walking around would stop to look at us for only a few seconds before continuing with their daily routines.

"Traverse Town is a place where lost hearts gather." Nara explained as she turned around and started walking backwards. I must have looked so nervous, because she gave me a comforting smile. "If your friends have strong enough hearts, they might have ended up here like I did."

"And we all know how that went." The new voice startled me, sending my head flying in every direction to search for it. Behind me, my sight landed on a man leaning against the wall with his hands folded across his chest. The corner of his lips curled into a mocking smirk. "Well, if it isn't the squirt. I guess I lost that bet."

"Leon!" Nara yelled at him, pouting and flailing her arms in anger like a child. "I thought I told you to stop calling me that!"

"Like I would listen."

As Nara fumed, the man turned his attention to me, all traces of humour wiped from his face. Leon's hair was brown and barely brushed his shoulders, while his eyes were blue. He was wearing a short, black leather jacket with a white undershirt and matching leather pants. The entire outfit was dressed in unnecessary belts and trinkets, much like Nara's. I met his eyes that examined me, noticing the scar that ran diagonally across the bridge of his nose.

"Who is she?" He asked, not taking his eyes off of me.

Nara rested a hand on my shoulder and smiled. "This is Ami." She motioned towards the man. "Show him."

Unsure and still nervous, I brought my hand out in front of me. It didn't take long before the Keyblade flashed into my hand.

"A Keyblade?" He questioned out loud. Leon's expression had only changed enough to tell my Keyblade was interesting to him.

For a moment, he looked away, as if thinking to himself. Standing straight, he broke the silence.

"Follow me."

* * *

I thanked Aerith for the glass of water she offered me.

Yuffie laughed. "I can't believe you found the Maiden! I always thought that was only a children's story."

"Children's story?" I questioned.

Leon had led us to a hotel room, where Nara had introduced me to the brown haired Aerith and the black haired Yuffie. I had told them who I was and what I had learned, while they told me more about the Heartless and the man they believed to have created them.

Yuffie looked away from the Keyblade I had left on the table and sat on the bed beside me. She began to tell the story.

"Once upon a time, when the worlds were still one, there lived a Princess in the Kingdom of Light. She was a beautiful and kind Princess, adored by all! As long as their Princess was safe, everyone in the Kingdom lived happy lives, protected by her white heart."

Aerith nodded and continued the story. "But the time of peace swiftly came to an end. The Warriors of Darkness came, destroying everything in their path. They desired power, and sought out the Kingdom's light. With her own Warriors defeated the young maiden, bearing the Key of Hearts, sacrificed her life to save the light and seal it away. The Kingdom grieved for their Princess, the sorrow separating the worlds until the white heart returned."

Something about the story felt strange, though I had never heard it before. "That really happened?"

Aerith smiled. "No one knows. It was written in a book that was meant for children, but we don't know how much of it is true."

I nodded, replaying the story in my head. "So, this is the Key of Hearts from the story?"

"Looks like it."

I looked to Leon as he spoke, meeting my gaze. For a while, something was keeping me there, trapped in his eyes that mirrored mine. A force tugged at my memories, pointing out the same blue eyes, and an intense stare; had I seen this man before?

I wanted to ask him. I wanted to get more answers from this group about the Heartless and my Keyblade, or about the Worlds and my friends.

Even as all the questions formed in my head, I couldn't hold back how tired I was. I yawned.

"Are you tired?" Aerith asked me, smiling and standing to her feet.

Nara did the same before I could answer. She laughed, jumping from her chair. "I guess we're both tired. We did have a long day."

I tried to protest, but Leon shook his head. "We'll continue this tomorrow. You two should rest."

Aerith motioned for us to follow her. "I'll show you which room you can use."  
The hotel was small, only having about six rooms connected to the same hallway, each with its own colour door. The room which we had been in was painted green and only started at the beginning. Most of the doors were closed, but I couldn't help notice the purple door slightly ajar. What I saw inside caught the air in my throat and accelerated my heart.

There was a boy with silver hair sleeping in that room.

My thoughts led me quietly into the room, watching the figure as I moved. The further I stepped into the room, the more I noticed differences between this boy and the one I knew so well. Whatever slight hope I had fell to the bottom of my heart.

It wasn't Riku.

A voice whispered my name behind me. I whispered to see Nara and Aerith standing by the door. Nara had been the one to call me. "What are you doing?"

I motioned to the boy, eying the strange items lain out on the table. "Who's that?"

Aerith led us out of the room to let the boy sleep. "We don't know; he only arrived here a little before you. Cid found him sleeping outside his shop and brought him here."

"So he lost his World?" I instantly felt for him when Aerith didn't answer. Why else would he be here, in this place that gathered stray hearts? He was just as lost as Nara and I.

It was that room I found myself in later when I couldn't sleep, replaying everything in my head as I sat beside his bed.

Only the Keyblade could prevent things like this from happening. The burden was large; I didn't think I could do it. My stomach turned at the thought of so many lives weighing on my tiny shoulders.

I fiddled with the white dress gown Aerith had lent me to sleep in as I watched him, feeling awkward just watching him. When I had first sat down, I had noticed the boy was ill and had found a cloth and a bowl in another room. One of the things keeping me there was changing the dry cloth, while everything else really had to do with arranging my thoughts.

The boy was older than me, but I couldn't tell by how many years. His silver hair seemed to reach past his shoulders, lying beside him without any sort of restraint. It was softer than it looked, something I noticed when I brushed it out of the way so it wouldn't get wet. His ears were pointed as well, something I had never seen before.

I turned to the items on the table to distract myself, only recognizing a few of them. A small hunting knife, dry bread wrapped in cloth, and the most beautiful crystal I had ever seen. Picking it up, I let it sit in my hand so I could look at it closely. I was careful with it, the small crystal wasn't that much smaller than my smallest finger, but still seemed delicate. I switched to the last item, a ball around the size of my hand, made completely out of white fur. What surprised me was when I went to touch it; it rolled away from me, as if shying from my touch. Confused and intrigued, I continued. The ball never failed to roll away. Slowly, I tried something else, gently poking it so it wouldn't notice me.

It bit me.

The shock almost through me off balance, but I caught myself before I could send both the chair and my body to the ground. I looked to the boy when all was quiet again, hoping I didn't wake him.

I looked back to the table and froze. The ball was gone, and in its place sat a tiny creature that watched me through large blue eyes.

There was no way for me to name the thing, only to compare it to the foxes we found on the Islands. Its body was shaped the same, with only a few major differences. The legs were thinner, its ears were longer, and its snout was shorter.

"Hey there, little guy." I whispered. It blinked, moving its eyes to watch the hand that I reached out to him. As I learned from the wild animals back home, I did not force myself on him. I was calm now, the initial shock had left.

The creature could sense the change of emotion, carefully edging closer to my hand. When it felt comfortable enough, he began to like the finger he had bitten.

I smiled and began to pet the creature. I wished it was that easy to please everyone.

* * *

The days seemed to pass so slowly.

Nara was anxious to move on, wanting to continue traveling worlds. Leon had said there was someone he wanted us to meet, another Keyblade Master who he had told us about the day after our arrival. He thought we could help each other, both of us looking for friends we have lost. I agreed, but it wasn't the true reason I had wanted to stay a little longer.

The boy had still not woken up, but his fever had gone down. Aerith said that he had not been sick when she had checked on him last and felt really bad. She helped me take care of him while Nara waited in the hall, preparing to nag me the second I left the room. She saw past me, knowing that he was the reason we were still there.

"He's lost." I had said. "I would have done the same thing if it was you."

The creature I had found and Nara also didn't get along, and she hated that it followed me everywhere. I didn't mind; it was nice to sit with him while we waited for his master to wake up. He seemed almost as impatient as I did.

Every once in a while, Leon would ask us to go out to certain spots and help the people staying in Traverse Town, either with chores or thinning out Heartless. Nara was happy when we fought the things, telling me to consider it training. I couldn't complain either. With every Heartless I destroyed, I could feel myself growing stronger, feel the Keyblade growing lighter in my hands. My magic was also getting better, but I still was no match for Nara. One night, she showed me something her people did while we sat in the main square.

Nara started to dance

She was slow at first, as if beginning to picture the movement and music of her world in her head, but her tempo sped up quickly. Her bare feet tapped against the rock, almost forming a beat, fire flowing from her hands and wrapping around her like cloth. The powder she used for her magic sparkled under the moon and seemed to dance with her. It didn't take long before more people had joined to watch, clapping their hands and melting into the beat. Aerith and I joined the clappers, while Yuffie chose to cheer her on instead. At one point, I swear I had seen Leon clapping with us, but he denied it when I started to tease him about it.

The scene she had created was the most beautiful I had seen since leaving the Islands. Everyone was laughing as some even decided to join in with her, but not matching her own style. The dancing flames were reflected off the smiling faces that I saw, not a single person thinking of what was happening. In that moment, they were all happy. I didn't want to see this end, and finally realized what I was trying to find.

I needed a reason, something to give me strength. I had more than enough to give me that. My friends, my new allies, and the smiling faces that I saw.

I wouldn't let them be taken away.

* * *

Later that night, I found myself in the boys' room again.

Even though his fever had calmed down, he still had not woken. It had already been a little more than a week since we arrived, and I was beginning to worry. Even the creature would crawl on my lap and look at me with such sad eyes, showing me he was just as worried as I was.

Sighing, I decided to change the cloth on his forehead. Aerith had brought me a bowl of clean water not long before, so the water was still fresh. I could feel myself drifting off, but like earlier I knew as tired as I was, my mind would not rest well until he was awake.

I decided that he would be fine until morning came, forcing the idea of rest into my mind. Several mornings now Aerith had found me in this room, upset that I wasn't worrying about my own health. Even if I couldn't sleep, it was better than her finding me here.

I stood and picked the sleeping creature up from my lap carefully before taking one last look at the boy. The sight made me jump, knocking over the bowl of water and startling the creature into my arms. He started to growl, but once he looked at the boy his ears perked up in excitement.

The boys eyes were open, his eyebrows creased in confusion. The creature jumped from my arms onto his chest. Watching me, he started to sit up. I tried not to get too close as I told him to lie back down, hoping not to scare him. Though when I spoke to him, it seemed to only confuse him further; I wondered if it was anything like when I had first met Pocahontas and he couldn't understand what he was saying.

"Do you know what I'm saying?"

He didn't reply, so I knew he couldn't. Instead he turned his silvery blue eyes away and looked around the room, taking in his surroundings while remaining weary of me.

"Ami?" I heard outside the room. When Nara stepped inside, the boy sprang to his feet, still on the bed but backed into the corner. He raised his hands in front of him as if holding something, until suddenly a blade appeared with a flash of light. Amazingly enough, the double-handed sword was almost his size of his body. Behind me, I heard the familiar click of one of own Nara's swords and knew they wanted to fight.

"Nara, please calm down!" The two of them had caught each other's eyes, ready to strike. It felt impossible to get their attention again. "You just scared him, that's all! He can't understand us!" Yet still, no matter how much I plead, the two continued to ignore me, waiting to see who made the first move.

The boy said something in a language that sounded very elegant to my ears; it reminded me of when I first had met Nara, and the thought gave me an idea. Quickly, I reached for her pouch and took a little of her powder. She noticed what I was doing and tried to grab my arm, breaking whatever lock the two of them had made. Before the boy could strike, while he was confused again, I used the distraction to climb the bed and sprinkled the powder as close to him as I could. His weapon disappeared and he started to cough, but he had stumbled and knocked me off of balance.

Knowing I was going to fall, I closed my eyes and prepared for impact. I could feel that someone had caught me. I opened my eyes expecting it to be Nara, but it was the boy who had caught me. I could feel my face turn red, embarrassed because I was still only in my white nightgown and the thought made me extremely uncomfortable.

Nara sighed, sheathing her own sword and stepping forward to take me from him. He looked at her and took a step back, the look from before returning to his face. "You will not harm this Pure One."

I watched her raise an eyebrow and also wondered what he meant by what he said. "Wait!" I called out, having forgotten what I had been aiming for in the first place. "I can understand you now!" I turned back to Nara. "That stuff is amazing! How does it do that?"

By the look on his face, he must have realized what I did. He carefully lowered me onto my feet.

"My name is Ami," I explained to him, motioning to myself. "That's Nara; She's my friend, so she won't hurt us."

I watched as the thought slowly reached him and his face showed a slight touch of regret. "Forgive me."

Smiling, I told him it was alright and asked him for his name.

"I am Kyo." Content with the answer, I told him to sit down so he didn't stress his body, explaining that he had been asleep for a long time. Nara refused to sit with us and decided to watch from the corner instead.

"What was it that you called me earlier?" I asked him.

Kyo raised his eyes to me. I was so jealous of how calm he was, even though I knew that he was older then both Nara and I. "Where I am from, those who have an innocent heart are called the Pure Ones."

"You could tell that about her so quickly?" Nara remarked from her spot. I could tell she seemed suspicious of him, but I knew he wasn't a bad person; just as I could tell about her when we had first met.

"Her heart emits warmth that gives her away." Nara nodded to his words, showing that she knew what he meant. I was so confused.

The small creature, which had been nuzzling his master's neck, seemed bored with him and jumped to my shoulders. He rubbed against my cheek and tickled my skin; I giggled.

"He is very fond of you." Kyo said, watching the creature. I asked for its name. "We found it when it was a pup. My sister called him Phiharo."

As the night continued on Kyo told us about how the last thing he remembered was his home being attacked by some creatures before he ended up in Traverse Town. The two of explained the Heartless as well as the existence and destruction of the Worlds.

We told him about our goals and our journey, about our lost friends and families. How we travelled the Worlds trying to make everything right and protecting everyone's Hearts. I summoned the Keyblade to emphasize our point, telling him what I knew about the weapon.

Once we had finished, I questioned if he had anyone important he'd like to protect. The look he gave was response enough, so even though I knew Nara would not be very fond of the idea in the beginning, we needed help.

I asked the silver haired warrior to join us.

* * *

Looking up at the stars reminded me so much of home. When everyone had returned to their own rooms and I was finally alone, I started feeling homesick. I had decided to climb the roof of the hotel, much like I had my own roof back on the Islands, and lay under the night sky.

Everything that had happened finally caught up to me, and I found myself crying.

It wasn't because I was sad or scared; those were things I had already come to terms with. There was so much pain, so much suffering; here I was, a child who was ripped away from her life and her friends.

Even though I knew I had to be strong, I let my tears flow freely. I wanted so much to know if my friends were alright, thinking how unfair it was that I was the one to live this adventure, the weakest one of all of us.

"Ami." Nara's voice cut through the darkness. Quickly I sat up and started to wipe my eyes before she could notice. "It's okay." I felt her hand rest on my head, and the tears welled up more than before. "It's alright to cry. You've been through a lot."

Sitting beside me and wrapping her arms around my shoulders, she let me cry for what felt like an eternity.

"Better?" She questioned when my tears were dry.

I nodded, my voice cracking when I answered her. "Thank you for this…"

Nara laughed. "It's been a long time since you've let it all out like that, huh."

Smiling, I was so happy to have her here with me and that she understood. "Yeah, it's been a while…"

"You should let out your feelings more. It's not good to keep them bottled up like that."

I opened my mouth to answer her, only to be cut off by a female scream. Nara was the first to jump to her feet, looking off of the roof. She sighed. "The Heartless are back."

"Is she alright?" Nara helped me to my feet, and I couldn't see the girl who had screamed anywhere.

"She ran into the other district, but man did she attract a crowd." It was true; the Second District was covered in a variety of Heartless. "Are you up for this?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" I giggled, summoning the Keyblade. "The one who frees the most Hearts wins!"

As I jumped to the district below, I heard Nara yell behind me about cheating. Together we fought, counting the Hearts that we freed. We laughed, and we would sometimes steal the other's enemy. Both of us knew it was dangerous, but it didn't matter to us. The Heartless continued to appear in rounds, the numbers larger each time.

"There must be a larger one summoning these." We turned to the new voice, watching Kyo walk towards us. He was wearing a dark brown cloak now that completely covered his body, tied together with belts and the top covering his mouth, ending at his nose.

Nara snickered. "Have you come to up? You're a little late to the party."

"Then I hope you'll still have me, late or not."

I giggled. The two seemed to have bypassed their initial mistrust, but still didn't seem fond of the other. I knew it would get better the longer we were together.

While they continued, I noticed a part of the wall behind me shimmer under the street light. I pointed. "Hey, I found it."

They turned and saw the creature as it became visible, preparing to strike.

* * *

"You're not as bad of a fighter as you look." Nara admitted, catching her breath.

It had taken a long time, but we had finally managed to destroy the larger Heartless and what remained of the smaller ones. I was so tired I need to sit, Nara just seemed a little tired, and Kyo didn't look any different. Nara and I were out of breath from our laughter after the fight.

"You are not so bad yourself," he responded. "The magic you use is impressive."

As Nara started to brag about her magic skills, Kyo turned to me, a slight nervous look on his face. Phiharo, who had been hiding under Kyo's cloak, jumped into my arms and curled against me.

"You don't have to ask." I smiled at him. "You came out here because you want to join us, right?"

I watched his face relax before he nodded. "Yes. If there is a way for me to help, I wish to travel with you."

Rising to my feet, I turned to a disgruntled Nara. "We could use a fighter like him."

She sighed. "I know, I know. If you're okay with it, he can come. If you have everything, let's leave now! I'm tired of this place."

"I am too, but Leon wanted to wait for the other Keyblade user right? Besides, Cid was so mad that you took his ship last time."

When we had returned, the blond man had spent several hours lecturing Nara on his Gummi Ship, first just angry that she took it and later that she had managed to damage it so much. Even though I had no one to compare to, I knew Nara was one of the worst drivers out there.

Nara shrugged. "It's the only Gummi Ship available. Besides, once he realizes why we took it I'm sure he won't mind. We'll just quickly go to one more World and then come back; it'll be like we never left! It's better than sitting around doing nothing."

"She's right," Kyo nodded. I was more surprised that the two of them could actually agree on something.

I watched Nara, fidgeting while she was standing. It wasn't just the fight or the adventure she yearned for, but anything that would show we were one step closer to finding a way home.

"Okay." They turned to me, both showing content in their own way. We quickly came up with a plan.

Nara and Kyo left to secure the ship, while I snuck back to the room to leave Leon a note. Not that we thought the note would matter, since we weren't planning to be gone long.

* * *

The sun was hot, and the wind brutal.

All of the souls trapped behind those bars desired no pleasures, but simple food or water to feed their parched throats and empty stomachs. The warriors were prepared for death if it meant they could get just a taste.

The oldest of the warriors wasn't just the most experienced because of age. He had been trapped the longest, as well as the only warrior still alive that had arrived with him. Everywhere he looked, the others were either naïve or too young to understand what was happening. They were promised wealth and fame if they survived against the monsters that were released in the arena. It would be too late once they realized what that truly meant.

The man found a particular interest in a trio of fresh newcomers, huddling together in the corner as far away from the others as possible. Two of them were obviously warriors, their stance and movement giving them away. It was the smallest one, a girl barely older than a child that stood out the most. The girl looked fragile, paler then the others. While the two she was with treated her like a princess, protecting her from the others who thought they could get away with stealing their supplies, she never showed fear. Her face remained strong, taking in her surroundings. It was a shame that such a noble heart had been brought to that place.

She would surely not last the night.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed it! Please review~ :3 **


	4. A World In Pain

**Hey guys! Yeah I know, this took too long. ;; But now I have KH:DDD, and there are too many feels, so I'm taking breaks and writing this story. Please bear with me~**

**Please read and review!**

**~ Akane**

**P.S. Please read this in the 1/2 format~ I find it makes it a lot better to read~!**

* * *

******Chapter Four - A World In Pain**

* * *

"Here, drink this."

I pushed Kyo's hand away, refusing the water he offered me for the fifth time. We had quite a bit of water left, but neither Kyo nor Nara would take any for themselves. They both were warriors, used to such situations, and they knew I was not. I was already forced by them to sit on a large rock, something about conserving my energy.

Nara had chosen this World to land on - or crash land in my terms - but as soon as we had taken our first step onto the land we were surrounded. They called themselves Silver Guards, threatening our lives if we fought back. Even knowing we could defend ourselves just fine, I refused to attack innocents. My companions surrendered with me, and the three of us had been led somewhere, wearing blindfolds.

Now we were underground and behind bars, unsure of where we were. Many others filled the damp space, but none of them seemed as confused as us. All of them were wearing armour and carrying weapons. I couldn't help but notice how the younger ones remained huddled together in the corner and showing fright on their faces. The older ones would sometimes close in on us, eyeing Kyo's flask of water or pouch of food. One look from him and they decided it wasn't worth it.

Where had we landed?

"It's no use." Nara sighed, returning after her search for an escape route. "The only ways out are behind the bars, or that stone door there." She motioned to the other side of the room, where the stone was coloured different than the rest of the walls. "If we wanted to escape now, we'd have to fight our way out." I shook my head. "I know; no fighting humans. I'm just saying it would be easier."

"Where do you think we are?" I questioned, taking another look around.

"By the structure of these pillars and the way the ceiling is formed, these ruins appear to have once been some sort of dungeon or treasury."

Nara nodded. "No one getting in or out without them noticing. Makes sense."

Kyo's words seemed to grab the attention of one of the captives, an older man who had been watching us since our arrival. He shook his head, making his way towards us, trying not to bring too much attention to the others. "This place had once stood magnificently, towering over us as a sign of what the people have conquered." The man mumbled, his voice holding whatever strength he had left. Closer now, I could see how the lack of nutrients had affected him; his skin was pale, his eyes red, and his arms were shaking slightly. He stood proud despite his suffering, reminding me of the warrior aura that Kyo also held around him. "Now it only stands for death."

Kyo swore, understanding what I hadn't. "It's an execution ground."

* * *

His whispered words froze her in her place.

She dared not move from her spot as he hovered beside her, chuckling at the excitement of the crowd below them. The people did not know the truth that she knew; what really happened behind the stone walls of the old coliseum.

Tears streamed down her face; there was nothing she could do except cry from her watchers seat.

The death bell echoed.

* * *

The older man shook his head at the sound. He sauntered over to his previous spot, picking up an old rusted sword that had been leaning on a stone pillar.

As I watched him, I found myself enable to breathe. Unable to think. All I could feel was pain clawing at my heart.

Before the bell had rung, the older man had explained that the imprisoned warriors were forced to fight monsters in exchange for something. Some fought for glory and riches, while others had been criminals fighting for their freedom.

I couldn't hear anything, not even the question that had left Nara's lips. She had asked what I didn't need anyone to answer. I could sense them. Sense their darkness tickle my skin. I knew what the man had meant; The enemy they had been fighting was not one they could defeat.

"They're here," I whispered weakly.

Nara turned to me, seeing my reaction for the first time. "Heartless?"

I nodded. The harsh shrill of the metal bars earned everyone's attention, and my friends both tensed as they waited for a sign that it was safe to flee. Two men appeared in the way of our freedom, both large and tall, wearing swords at their hips and masks covering the top half of their faces. They were the same guards we had seen when we had arrived.

Nara reached for her own blades, but I grabbed onto one of her arms and held her back.

When she looked at me, I shook my head. "Right," she mumbled. "No innocents."

One of the guards turned to the older man and motioned to the stone door at the other side of the room. "Today, Champion fights first."

The older man sighed and nodded, lifting his sword with weak confidence. It was the look in his eyes that told me what he knew. His look was of surrender; he wasn't going to make this battle.

"Let us fight instead," I spoke, loud enough for the guards to hear me. I wondered if they could tell how badly my voice was shaking as I watched the older man's eyebrows crease in confusion.

Kyo must have realized what I was trying to do and continued. "I'm sure we would be more of an amusing show for your audience."

Nara grinned. "Yeah! Outsiders like us play better than old men anyways!"

I smiled at them, happy to have such friends and allies by my side.

"You think you stand a chance to face a Champion's enemy?" The second guard snickered.

Both guards exchanged brief amused looks, before the first guard nodded. "Let the outsiders learn their place."

The older man tried to argue, telling them that children stood no chance against his foes. They ignored him as they led the three of us to the door. Everyone was watching us while we passed, either curious or fearing for our lives. I didn't want any of them to sacrifice anything, so I refused to stop smiling. As long as we fought for them, they would be safe.

Light flooded slowly through the stone door when it opened; I turned to smile at the older man before he was no longer in my sight.

* * *

The impatient crowd burst to life when the gates opened. They expected to see their Champion, their King, tear apart his enemies with his mighty sword.

What they saw instead brought shouts of anger and confusion rather than those of excitement. The ones that took the champions place were a simple group of teenagers, one around her age, and the other two slightly older. The older ones seemed to circle the girl in the middle as if to protect her, taking in their surroundings. She watched the older female's lips move, turning to the male who nodded in return. The clothes they wore were new to her, styles she had only seen in fantasy stories and tales read to her as a child.

When she finally looked away from the two to the girl between them, she realized the brunette was staring at her. Their eyes locked together, ignoring the large distance between them. The girl had no emotion on her face when she tilted her head, then saying something to her allies.

"That is her," the hooded man whispered into her ear. His slight chuckle sent chills down her spine. "She is the one to be destroyed, my master wants."

She shook her head, wanting so much to argue against him. Biting her lip to keep silent, she felt the tears once again fall from her eyes.

Too many lives were at risk, three should be nothing, no matter how wrong it was.

_Save me.  
_

* * *

The old man's laughter echoed off the stone walls, making the other contestants nervous as well as capturing their attention.

After returning from the first round with a cheering crowd left behind us, we had discovered much from the old man, starting with his name; Eldon. I was so happy to see him in such a cheerful mood, even after his lecture about how dangerous it had been. He agreed to exchange his knowledge if we shared with him how we had survived. Without telling him about the other worlds, I summoned my keyblade to show him, explaining that we had been traveling to destroy those monsters.

Eldon had sighed, bowing his head to thank us. He began with his story after we returned to our previous rocks. Only a week ago, he had been king, ruling his kingdom in peace and teaching his daughter how to follow in his place.

"Was that her, watching from the top of the crowd?" I had asked. The resemblance between them was amazing, and I had seen the connection before the fight. Her long black hair was a darker version of her fathers, not lightened with age, and the eyes matched perfectly. That had been the first thing to catch my attention, the second the redness of her eyes. Everyone else had been excited, but she was so sad.

Eldon continued after confirming my question. He told us how the heartless appeared slowly, only in small towns and even smaller villages. Soon, they attacked the capitol; by that time he had already lost too much against them. The people had no chance fighting an enemy that could not be hurt by their weapons, so when a hooded man came before him to reach a compromise, Eldon had no choice but to agree.

The stranger kept his daughter Miya by his side at all times, threatening his life along with her childhood friend, a boy named Sai. Eldon fought the heartless so his people could watch, thinking it was simply a show.

He sighed, rubbing at his temples. "The only reason I am still alive is that those monsters do not kill me. They toy with me, wound me, but do not go further then that."

"Please don't worry." I smiled, understanding the trouble and pain this world had been through. "We'll find a way to stop this, I promise."

Eldon bowed again, hiding the tears I had seen shine in his eyes and thanking him from the bottom of his heart.

A few days later, Nara and Kyo had helped me decide on a plan of action. We had been fighting the heartless on and off since meeting Eldon, building a plan around it. Soon, they were going to try and separate us to fight the enemy, and we would let them. One would keep the audience entertained, while the other two would break out into the rest of the dungeon. First they would free the boy Sai, and then move to the top of the coliseum to approach the hooded man. Afterword, we would search for the keyhole and I would seal this worlds Heart away from the heartless. I knew the plan sounded easier than it would be, but we had no other option. With the little food and water they were giving and how the enemies were getting stronger each time, they couldn't hold much longer.

The doors opened again, the same guards that had entered the first time now wore solemn looks upon their faces. Quickly they approached, separating my friends from my with the weapons they carried. A murmur spread through the watching crowd, all of them backing away from the larger men.

"Today only you," the taller one grumbled.

Giving a look to my friends after hearing the familiar click of Nara's sheath, I hoped that would be enough to stop them from following me. When we had decided on the plan, the two of them seemed to have talked to themselves about who would fight under the crowd's eyes. I couldn't tell if they were overprotective or they didn't think I was ready, but either way I needed to do this. The two of them together were fit for such a task, and would be able to rescue the princess a lot quicker than I could. At my current level, the most I could do was form a distraction.

With a little push from the guard, the doors closed behind me. I could barely hear my heartbeat over the crowd. Shadows emerged from the ground, the weakest form of Heartless. How many rounds would buy enough time for the others?

The Keyblade flashed in my hands, my eyes moving to the hooded figure above. I could barely see him, but I could feel him watching me as I watched him. His presence sent shivers down my spine, a fragment of a memory I couldn't recall.

The Heartless made their move.

* * *

"Now?"

"No, wait a minute longer."

Nara bit her bottom lip, tapping one of her swords gently against the wall. She was impatient and wanted to move quickly, but the patrolling guards were still too close. The reactions of the crowd gave away Ami's progress and told them that she was still alright. If they waited too long, the Heartless she faced would be too much for her.

They had finished gathering information from the other prisoners; the princesses' friend was locked away on the other side. Nara and Kyo decided the plan needed to change, and they would save Ami first. They wouldn't make it to the other side without being noticed or causing a fuss, so the priority was to make sure she was safe.

When the last guard was out of sight, Kyo gave Nara the signal to open the door. The lock itself was simple, so the two of them managed to escape easily into the stone hallway that had led them there. No one dared to follow them.

The number of guards surprised both of them, barely finding enough places to hide when one of them passed. Without being spotted, they didn't need to worry about fighting; they had promised not to unless it was completely necessary.

As they neared halfway point, they were led into a large hall crawling with heartless. On the other end began the staircase that would take them to the Princess.

Kyo swore, motioning to an open space the Heartless had begun to swarm. "They can reach the crowd there, where those innocent people are watching. The hooded man wasn't planning any fights after this. All of those watchers were to feed his monsters."

In a swift movement, Nara felt the tightened grip of her swords in both hands and saw Kyo's weapon appear in the corner of her eye. The anger boiled inside her, fuelling the fire on her blades as she whispered the spell. "Then we have a feast to crash."

Together they sprinted towards them, Nara speeding ahead and narrowing the crowd while Kyo finished the stragglers. He was unable to use magic, so the two created a system after the initial attack; she would slow down a small circle of them so they would be easier for Kyo to fell in one swift swing. It was a tiring process, but proved very useful as they continued up the staircase.

Once they reached the top however, both of them froze, unsure of how to continue. In front of them stood a pair of giant doors, melded together with darkness that oozed and boiled through the cracks.

"What do we do now?" Nara said, catching her breath. She had always been told she was a natural when it came to using magic, but it still tired her when too much energy was used.

Kyo slashed at the darkness, watching it blend again a second later. "Without Ami, we need to locate and defeat the one who created this."

"Then you two have nothing to worry about," a new voice echoed off the walls.

The two spun around, ready to strike. There stood the hooded figure, arms crossed as he watched them. Nara prepared to attack, but questioned the presence this figure held. It was not the same she had felt from the figure watching in the coliseum. When the figure lowered the hood, long strands of black hair fell around the face.

The woman grinned, her fangs glinting under the candle light and her red eyes shining.

"I'm right here."

* * *

The potion I drank felt cool down my throat, restoring only a slight bit of my energy. I could use healing spells, but it took several minutes before my body allowed me to use the spell again.

I had taken a moment to myself after finishing the last round. My wounds weren't great and I found them easy to heal, though I could not take the beating for much longer. My legs and arms were shaking with fatigue, and each enemy proved more difficult than the last.

A scream broke my thoughts, melting together with others from the crowd. Panicking, the watchers scrambled in all directions. I could see the darkness that they fled from, Shadows crawling into the stands. I jumped up to help them, but something stood in my way. It couldn't be seen, an invisible wall I could reach out and touch. The force sent me flying when I struck it; I wasn't getting past unless I could break it somehow. I stood and tried again. The result was the same.

As I went to try a third time, a silver flash caught the corner of my eye. I jumped back, missing the full force of the attack as it scratched my ankle. The pain grew when I landed, causing me to collapse onto one knee, using the keyblade as balance. The enemy attacked again, but I was prepared and deflected it with my own weapon. In front of me, the enemy's blade struck the ground; it was curved, reminding me of the tool my father used to cut the grass when it grew too long.

My eyes followed the chain attached to the blade. I felt my heart drop and my fear rising; there stood the hooded man, pulling his weapon back to him.

"You are lucky. That was meant to strike you down."

I could see his crimson eyes hidden behind his black hair even before he pulled his hood back. There was something wild and threatening in his eyes that had me wishing I could run away.

"Who are you?" I called to him, attempting to distract him to buy more time. "Why are you doing this to these people?!"

The stranger threw his weapon again, my Keyblade barely able to knock it away. "If my master wants Hearts what better way than to gather them?" He grinned, his eyes remaining dark. "Your heart remains the greatest prize. Sisi and I are ecstatic."

My heart sunk at the realization; there were two of them, that was why my friends were taking so long. I needed to hurry, running at him instead of keeping my distance. Once again I barely blocked his attack, the blade digging into my shoulder.

Our fighting continued, neither winning over the other. I was afraid, but that fright was what kept me strong, what stopped my body from collapsing. Unlike mine, his weapon was designed to cut and the wounds it inflicted tore into my skin. It was a mystery how much blood I had lost; I tried to push the thought away, worried it would bring the pain to the front of my mind.

The princess was still frozen. Nara and Kyo were nowhere to be seen. The concern was enough of a distraction for his attack to strike again. Both of us stopped, standing on opposite sides of the arena once again. My lungs begged for air in this pause, my body shivering. The enemy smirked at the difference between us.

Even though I had hit him just as much, it didn't even appear I was hurting him in the slightest.

Another scream fell on my ears, my eyes catching the sight seconds before the citizen disappeared. My heart beat echoed in my head, blocking out any noise that followed. These people needed me, and I was failing them. If I couldn't beat him, they would all die.

If I couldn't save them, there was no hope for me to save my friends. My home.

My knees collapsed finally, the reality of my lack of strength taking over, and I watched the enemy make his way to me to finish what he had started.

I should never have been given this gift. It was too much for me. It should have been Riku, with his urge to protect those weaker than him. It could have been Sora, with his kind heart and friendly smile.

A woman's voice whispered in my head, different from the voice I usually hear. Words that were familiar but that I couldn't remember. The man stood over me now; I watched his lips move as he talked to me, but there was no sound. No pain. I was so numb I couldn't even feel the tears fall down my cheeks.

The hooded man smirked and raised his weapon, preparing for his final strike.

_Ami._

* * *

The duo caught their breath. The silence between them was thick while Nara healed Kyo's arm, cut from the hooded woman's blade. Nara recognized the weapon, a chained shakra similar to the ones on her world, and knew the best way to heal the wound.

They had done well against the girl, standing on equal levels, the battle only shifting when Kyo had been distracted by a scream, their enemy taking the chance to strike. Minutes later, something had grabbed the woman's attention and she disappeared from sight, leaving the two tired and concerned. Was Ami alright?

Kyo stood, rotating his arm and mumbling his thanks. In another situation Nara would tease him, but they had a silent agreement to continue on as quickly as possible.

Nara turned to the door, motioning towards the lack of darkness. They remained cautious as they opened it together, unsure of what had happened to let them through. On the other side, the princess was no longer frozen and was clinging to a boy neither of them recognized. He seemed to be calming her down, and perked up when he saw the two, motioning over the edge of the booth. They exchanged a brief look before both decided to look down into the coliseum.

Nara felt her heart leap into her throat, confused and terrified by what she saw. Telling Kyo to stay with the princess and the boy she presumed was her dear friend, Nara jumped off the sides, using her magic to slow her body as she jumped from level to level.

Both of the enemy siblings were there, on the opposite side as Ami, but the woman was trying to help the man to stand. He appeared to be greatly wounded, and Nara was surprised about the level of fear in the woman's eyes.

When Nara got closer to Ami, she could begin to understand why.

The small girl was standing tall, as if she couldn't feel the blood from her injuries that fell down her arms and soaked her clothes. Ami's skin itself was glowing white as she walked towards the enemy, her Keyblade changed into a form Nara had never seen before. Her normally straight hair seemed to float, but they formed curls instead.

"Ami!" Nara called out for her as she hit the same level. It took a second delay, but the girl turned to her. Nara's breath caught.

The bright blue eyes she knew had transformed into gold, her pupils faded over.

Nara continued towards her, aware that the enemy team had used the chance to escape. "Ami! It's me!" The girl stared blankly at her, and Nara was unsure if she even recognised her. "It's Nara, please, come back to us!"

As Nara reached her, the Keyblade and the strange presence vanished, leaving the small girl to fall against her. Nara wrapped her arms tightly around her, whispering encouraging words and promising safety as the girl fell asleep. Nara raised her head to the booth, her eyes locking with Kyo's.

What had happened?

* * *

"Please, tell her when she wakes up."

Nara smiled back at the princess while Kyo only nodded, shifting Ami in his arms.

It was the next day, and things had finally started to settle down. The two had learned that Ami had pushed back the enemy, and in wounding him released the spell that had the princess, Miya, trapped. Sai was unsure of how he had gotten there, but when he woke up, Miya had been crying in front of him, and Ami had been fighting back with questioning strength.

The two had told the King and Miya they wished to return to where they were from, even though the girl had not woken up. Eldon was unsure and didn't like the idea, but he agreed, as long as they were able to say goodbye when the time came.

"We will, Your Majesties." Nara said, bowing to them as she would bow to royalty on her World. She took the small box from the Princess, deciding not to argue about the gift. Ami wouldn't be happy, not wanting something in return, but she'll face that when the girl woke. "We will make sure she gets this, and knows about your gratitude."

They said their final goodbyes, and headed for the Gummi Ship. Nara moved quickly, and Kyo didn't question her. Ami would be able to rest properly in Traverse Town, and it would be easier for the two to protect her there.

Nara also knew the only one she could question about what had happened was Leon. If anyone would know, it was him.

* * *

Please Rate and Review~!


	5. When We Were Young

****EDIT: Most of you might have read this one already. While going back, I was looking at me old chapters and this file seemed corrupted on the site, so now I've gone to reupload it to see if the problems went away! Sorry if you've read this one already! **

**I have all of these KH feels. **

**Sorry my writing is even slower than it used to be, with school I find myself with not much free time to do anything. So thank you so, so much for putting up with me and continuing to read my work! **

**Please read and review!**

**~ Akane**

**P.S. Please read this in the 1/2 format~ I find it makes it a lot better to read~!**

* * *

**Chapter Five: When We Were Young**

* * *

"I've never heard of it before." Leon shook his head, unsure of how to process the information. The way it was described to him was strange, Ami's very being controlled by an outer source. He would have to look into it, as well as the girl's health. She was currently running a fever, and he had heard she had been sick a lot since childhood. They remained in the Green Room, while Ami was resting in the same one Kyo had a few doors away.

It had been a few days since Nara and Kyo had returned, insisting for the young Keyblade wielder to be given medical attention. Leon had been furious with Nara, even after she had explained what happened. She had never seen him hold so much emotion, it had startled her. Since Aerith had begun to treat her he had finally calmed down, only sometimes pacing near the hotel.

"That must have been really weird, huh." Yuffie tilted her head, speaking for the first time since they began the story.

Nara watched Kyo nod. She was tired of sitting around, worried for Ami's health was a lot, but she still hated not being able to do anything. Her magic couldn't heal whatever made Ami ill, and she finally understood why the girl was so pale and weak. This was a reoccurring thing for her. There was a part of Nara that made her feel guilty about the training she made her go through, but it was needed for the girls own survival.

Rising to her feet, Nara told the others that she was going to check on her, make sure her fever hadn't gone up. It hadn't been long before her last visit, but something was poking the back of her mind, making her uncomfortable. This feeling was familiar, like they were being watched. Nara couldn't seem to brush it away. She waited for Aerith to give her a glass of water, asking for her to place it in the room so if Ami woke up she had something to drink, and made her way into the hall.

The fading sun brightened the way and shone through the windows. Night time was approaching quickly, not making her feel any easier. With each step she took, she could feel the air thicken, a shiver running down her spine. The feeling was similar to the Heartless, but it was much worse.

It was the feeling of darkness itself.

Nara's heart dropped when she saw the purple door slightly ajar. She had been the last one in the room, and she remembered hearing the click behind her. The glass slipped from her hand, shattering on the floor behind her once she was already forcing her way into the room, swords drawn.

The room was the same as when she left. It was the boy with silver hair that was different, standing beside Ami's bed. Nara called out to him, questioning who he was and why he was there. Slowly he turned, revealing Ami asleep in his arms. This boy was older than Ami, his cold teal eyes burning with rage.

"Who are you?" She tried again. The darkness was not from the boy, but it was thick enough that even she could see it curl around him. She lifted a blade toward him. "Put her down!"

"You can't save her," the boy mumbled. The tendrils of darkness licked Ami's skin, hissing at the touch. It moved around him, swirling together and creating a sort of door, the inside dark. "I'll be the one that protects her."

"No!" Nara charged, her fears and anger fuelling her attack, refusing to let this stranger take the girl in his arms. She had made a promise, and would not fail again.

Quickly she struck, but the boy was fast as well, moving out of her way and towards the door leading to the connecting rooms. Her sword sliced the darkness, but it vanished instead of reforming, flowing back to the boy. In the same movement, she turned her ankle and sprung again. Where did his speed come from? She wasn't going to be able to catch him.

A sudden noise startled them both, the door in front of the boy crashing and taking part of the wall with it. She knew what had happened, but did not dwell on the thought, using the chance to tackle the boy from behind after he jumped away from the collision. The force had the boy release Ami, though when his arms were free he broke out of Nara's grasp, his elbow striking her head.

Nara heard the sound of broken glass, relieved by what she say when her vision began to clear. Kyo was standing in the broken doorway, his weapon long gone despite the damage it brought remaining. Ami was still asleep in his arms, appearing like she had never been disturbed. Nara investigated her surroundings, noting the broken window and deciding against chasing after the boy. He was long gone, driven by whatever outer force he was gaining power from.

They turned to each other, a silent agreement forming between them. This girl was a magnet to trouble, and they needed to be at their strongest to protect her from the darkness that sought her heart. Once she was moved into the red room to continue her rest, and the destruction was cleaned up, they agreed to take turns watching over her.

Though as the night went on, neither of them left her side.

* * *

Sora raised his head, slowing to a stop. Donald and Goofy both looked to him, confused about the sudden change in Sora's face. Less than a minute before he had been excited, happy beyond belief to finally come across one of his friends after not finding any signs. Riku was alright, and Sora knew that even though his friend went off on his own he'd be alright. He was always able to take care of himself.

They were in the second district when something caught Sora's attention, focusing on the hotel. He mumbled something the others couldn't hear, a force almost tugging him towards the east entrance. "Sora? What is it?" Donald finally questioned when nothing had changed.

It was familiar to him, but he just couldn't place what it was. There wasn't a feeling of danger, or even the Heartless; the area was oddly void of them and any imprint they normally leave behind. What pulled him was a sort of feeling of need, like something he lost had found its way and was leading him to it. When it finally clicked, it was sudden, like the force had thrown him against the wall.

He had felt this long before, years ago, when he and his friends had gone through something when Kairi had first arrived on the islands. The memory gripped at his heart, the paopu charm burning in his pocket.

"Ami," he whispered. " Ami's here!"

The very thought drove him quickly to the stairs. If he was right and she was there, he would be so relieved. Out of all of his friends, Ami was the one who worried him the most. She had spent so much of their childhood ill and forced to stay in bed, sick with something that the doctors could not heal or identify. While he traveled, he found himself always wondering where she could have found herself. Was she alone somewhere, trapped? Or was her heart too weak, and she was lost with their Islands? He had no way of knowing, and he hoped to finally have an answer.

He sensed the attack before the attackers came into his view, and he had already jumped out of the way. Sora summoned his Keyblade once he was back at the bottom of the stairs, watching the figures step into the light. With not a lot of time passing before he was attacked again, he only had enough time to note the purple and white hair, and the duel blades in the woman's hands.

* * *

It was dark, but the whispers were enough to hint to my slumber. As always the voices were familiar, yet I could not recognize them.

A girl's laughter and cries.

A boy screaming in agony.

And a woman repeating the same chant that I could not place.

This same nightmare taunted every sleep, every night since I first came in contact with my Keyblade. Slowly, unlike other times, it began to shift and blinded me in light I was not used to. When it cleared away, I knew where I was immediately; the pale walls decorated with dozens of picture frames, the smell of plants I could name in a heartbeat, or smaller things like the crackle of the fireplace and the wind rattling against the window. Even the singing wind chimes hanging on the front porch.

This was my home, the place I knew more than anything, but the warmth of it was missing. Was I actually back, or was this still a dream?

"It's good that you kept her home today, Sam." A familiar voice said quietly behind me. "Going to school today might have really made her condition worse."

Suddenly I saw them there, sitting in the living room. The woman was on a single chair, a notebook resting on her lap. Ever since I could recall, Renee had always been our family doctor. Her brown hair was always tied into a high ponytail, her bangs tucked behind her ears. Her glasses and fancy clothes made her seem more mature then she was, even if everyone knew she loved to just run around and play with the other kids on her days off. Renee and her husband were the only doctors on the island so they were always busy, but it always seemed like she had the time for me. My mother and Renee had been very close, so maybe she had felt like she needed to protect me after our loss.

Across from her sat a figure I knew well. His eyebrows furrowed with worry, his elbows on his knees and his chin resting on his hands. My father looked so much younger than I was used to, but the worry I saw on his face aged him further than I remembered when I was younger.

I wanted to run to him, to tell him not to worry and to let him know I was alright. When I tried though, I could not move or make a sound. I was forced to watch my past play out before me.

My father sighed, rubbing his temples. "For a moment there, I didn't think she was going to let you look at her." He chuckled, but his smile didn't reach his eyes. "She was so upset with me this morning. Not that I blame her, since she was so excited about today."

Renee nodded. "A birthday is a big thing for the children, especially at her age. Our little Miki just turned ten; I can only imagine how upset he would have been."

A series of knocks at the door surprised both of them; Hiro tiredly looked at his watch, sighing when he realized the time. "That would be the boys. I didn't even notice how late it was."

Renee, also surprised at the time, decided to let them be and said her goodbyes once he opened the doors. When she was out of the way, the two boys jumped up immediately yet hovered outside the door. Young Sora and Riku were raised to be polite, but they also knew this man was easy to upset whenever his daughter was ill.

At once they both asked how she was; was she still sick? Could they go see her? Could she go out to play?

Hiro shook his head, the hope of both boys falling. "I'm sorry you two, but she can't play today. She's asleep right now, so maybe tomorrow." The boys turned away as he closed the door behind them.

"Tomorrow…" Riku mumbled. It always upset them when Ami was sick, and it had bothered Riku when she hadn't met them on the way to school that morning. She was only one out of the three who really enjoyed going to classes. Normally her father would let them inside, where they would wait for her to wake before they could visit her. It must have been very bad for him to turn them away.

Sora rested his hands behind his head as they walked, his usual grin replaced with a frown. "Tomorrow's too late!" he whined. He sat on the small stone steps close to her home, grumpy with the turn of events. "Let's just wait!" Sora looked to Riku once he sat beside him. "Maybe she'll wake up!"

Riku nodded. If Ami did wake up, she always loved to see them there, as if whatever was making her sick vanished at the sight of them. He wanted them there of all days, even if they had to wait all evening. He opened his mouth to agree when someone caught his attention.

The little red head looked as lost as always, holding a bundle of flowers as close to her as she could. When the boys left to help her, everything else was forgotten.

Little Ami opened her eyes, the darkness in her room surprising her. The kitten alarm clock on her side table told her it was still only early evening, raising her hopes.

She hadn't missed her birthday!

Quickly she jumped out of her bed, replacing her night gown with her favourite white dress. Father would get angry, knowing it was only going to get dirty, but he wouldn't say anything to stop her. It was her day.

Ami slowed when she reached the stairs. She was still dizzy from sleep, and the last thing she needed was to trip and fall. It was long after school, so she stopped in front of the mirror on the main floor and fixed her hair and straightened her clothes before running into the living room.

Her Father looked up from his seat on the couch, eyes bright when he saw her. Of course Ami was glad he was there, but her insides knotted together in disappointment. She was looking around when he approached her.

"Sweetheart, don't move around too much. Are you hungry?" He kneeled in front of her, confused by her reaction. "What's wrong?"

Ami looked up at him, her frown deepening. "Where are they?"

Hiro knew immediately what she meant. He began to regret sending the boys away. "I didn't know when you were going to wake up." Her face didn't change; this was her trying to be strong even though it was obvious she was quite upset. "Last time I checked they were waiting outside. Let me see."

It had been a while since he had seen the boys, but knowing how they were it would be likely that they remained, sitting in complete boredom. Hiro was just as surprised that they weren't there as Ami was disappointed. "It looks like they've gone off for the day."

"Oh." Ami gripped the bottom of her dress, biting the bottom of her lip before looking back to her father. "Papa, I'm hungry."

Her father smiled, patting her head before heading towards the kitchen.

Maybe she could catch up to them! The second he was out of her view, she was running out the door and ignoring the bitterness in the air.

She met many of her classmates on the way, all pointing her in the same direction and telling her the same stories; they had been called by their parents to go inside, and they had seen several groups heading towards the inlet.

Riku and Sora would be there, fighting like they always did. They most likely didn't even know about the storm, focused on nothing else but which one was the winner. It didn't matter to her where they went or what they were doing, she was happy as long as she was with them.

When she reached the small island the number of boats docked didn't surprise her. Some of her other classmates were there, she could see them on the beach. It was a trio much like her own, a group of friends who spent most of their time together. Ami and the boys played with the three often, though the group would spend just as much time separated.

Tidus noticed her first, followed by Selphie, but it was Wakka that called her over. They said their hellos, Selphie giggling and wishing her a happy birthday. Tidus hugged her and told her he was glad she was feeling better while Wakka told her school was boring as always.

Ami felt happy. She didn't like when people worried, it reminded her about her illness. They would treat her differently, trying too much not to make it obvious they were sad for her. All she wanted was for them to smile, to be happy.

"Have you seen Riku and Sora?" she asked them, confused by the exchanging glances that followed her question.

"They already came by with the new girl." Tidus was the one to answer her, a frown on his face. "They said they wanted to go to the other side."

Ami tilted her head. No one usually went to the other side of their inlet; it was a wild area, only trees and small animals made it home. Her father had once told her that when he was young, the adults who decided to make the inlet a place for their children only worried about the side facing the main island. They had fenced off the second half, but the wood had rotted over the years, opening spots for them to climb through. Most of them never even thought about it, so it was rare for any of them to go.

Tidus offered to go find them, but she shook her head and told them she would be fine. Ami made sure to tell the group about the coming storm, though she knew they could feel it. It was still very cold around that time of the year, and the rain fell quick. The children were used to being able to predict the weather since the air usually gave it away, though their parents were masters.

She ran towards the fence as quickly as she could muster, knowing that she needed to find them soon. If they were stuck in the storm, the cold would make them sick. The island didn't need any more sick children.

Crawling under the wooden barrier, she could feel a raindrop burn her cheek before she disappeared into the trees.

Kairi's laughter filled their ears. The boys were happy to hear it from the quiet girl who had finally started opening up to them.

Earlier in the evening, after they had convinced her to play with them, the three had been on the way to the forest when an idea crossed Sora's mind. Originally, the boys had wanted to surprise their friend by taking chalk to the cave with them, knowing how much Ami loved to draw. They had found the secret by mistake; Ami was scared, hearing a monster somewhere on the island. Riku had convinced Sora that if he was brave, he could scare the monster away. When the three went inside, there was nothing there. Just the wind, Riku had told her. He remembered her smile as she claimed the space as their secret place; the only area on the island that was theirs and only theirs.

Ami was always drawing something, especially when her illness kept her away, so spending time together decorating the secret place sounded like the perfect present. The idea had almost been forgotten when they had brought Kairi along.

Hours later, the cave had been filled with dozens of little drawings. The rain had started to die down as they finished the last few touches.

"We should go back." Riku felt wrong. He didn't like the feeling, like an alarm constantly ringing in his head. Maybe Ami had woken and his senses were telling him to return.

Sora nodded, racing Kairi towards the entrance. Riku smiled and organized the chalk pieces before following after them.

"Where is she?!"

Riku recognized the voice, hurrying out of the cave at the urgency it held. When he was outside, he noticed Kairi still by the entrance and Sora further down the path. He could see the figures that blocked their way when he approached as Sora turned to give a quick frown.

"What's wrong?" Riku asked, trying to break the tension in the air.

Tidus turned his anger from Sora to him. "Where is Ami? You said you were going to the forest! She went looking for you!"

Riku's heart dropped as Tidus continued to rant, the horror on Sora's face matching his own. They must have hid from the rain inside the small shack close to the cave, which meant they could have seen anyone heading towards the forest on the other side. Ami had gone looking for them before the storm, and now she hadn't returned even hours later.

She had already spent the whole day ill; Riku didn't want to think about her being in the rain without any shelter.

Sora was the one to start running, though Riku followed after him a few seconds later. Sora could see the others splitting up, the girls not among them. Were they staying behind to keep an eye out? Or had they gone to get one of the parents? He didn't think about it. All that he could focus on was his own feet, the fence in front of him, and the loud pounding of his heart.

When Sora and Riku had passed the barrier, they stopped and called out for her. Sora knew this was his fault. He should have waited for her outside of her house, like they always waited for her to wake. Sora had just felt so bad for Kairi, knowing how alone she was. Why waste the night when they could be at least making someone happy?

Time passed quickly the longer he searched, calling out her name often. This far into the woods, the ground was so wet and cold from the rain that he found his foot slipping every few steps. The sun had almost completely set by the time he found a clue; a small paopu resting in the mud. As Sora went to pick it up, he realized that it wasn't one of the fruits, but instead the stuffed charm Ami took with her wherever she went. It had only been a little more than a year since she made it, and it was still larger than his hands were back then.

Something pale caught his eye from the spot, his heart falling silent at the sight of it. With a shaking voice he managed to call to the others.

"Ami," he whispered, deciding not to wait for the others and approached her. He felt his eyes well, the tears falling down his face when he was closer. Reaching out, he brushed the fallen leaves off her body.

Ami was on her side, pale and cold to the touch. Her favourite white dress covered in mud, one of her shoes misplaced. Her skin was covered in scrapes and scratches, and Sora could see the bump on her head that caused the blood in her hair.

Sora heard movement behind him, followed by the sound of Riku's breath catching in his throat. "Ami!"

It both surprised and scared them when she slowly opened her eyes to the sudden noise. She looked at them, half of a smile touching her lips. Sora was terrified by the look in Ami's eyes, whatever life was left there.

Her voice was so quiet when she opened her mouth.

"Thank goodness… I… I finally f-found you…"

* * *

"Do you not see it, my child? Neither of those so called 'friends' care for you anymore. They have both replaced you."

He shook his head, unsure of what he was seeing. "No… they wouldn't… I don't…."

Maleficent felt the smirk threatening to escape, amused at the uncertainty of the young boy in front of her. A gorgeous white crystal hovered above the black wooden table before them; the boy's face was blank as he stared at it, the light reflecting off his pale blue eyes.

Riku watched the crystal, concerned with the image it showed him. When he had tried to save her earlier that evening, he had felt the heat of her skin and heard how heavy her breathing had gotten. Now he could only see what he knew was true, and it pained him that he had been interrupted. He watched her eyes tighten, and wondered what bad dreams she must be having.

"You worry for that girl far more than she will worry for you."

Riku shook his head. "Ami's not like that, she worries about everyone more than she'd ever think about herself."

"A pure hearts fits her perfectly," a voice cut through his thoughts, a chuckle from the darkness behind them. Riku turned to the intruder, a dark figure hidden in the shadows.

"May we help you?" Maleficent said in her calm voice, but Riku could hear the annoyance in her tone. He himself didn't like being in the stranger's presence, as there was something cold about him. Something dark and ancient that made his skin crawl. "I did not summon you here."

The man chuckled again, before bowing in a mocking way. "I am sorry, Lady Black. I've just come to see if my little gifts are to your liking."

Maleficent eyed the figure bowing in front of her. "Yes... The Heartless are serving me well. Is that all?"

"No, Lady Black, it is not." He answered, standing straight again. Riku wanted to see what he looked like, but the hood shadowed his face. "I also want to know how your puppet is doing."

Riku frowned at the man, choosing his words to argue, but Maleficent stepped in between them. "This boy is not my puppet. He is simply following his own will."

The man shrugged. "Whatever you say, Lady Black."

And with that said, he disappeared back into the shadows.

* * *

**Wake.**

What is this?

**Kixru. Wake now, child.**

Kixru? What is that?

**You have been born from what another has lost; born from the light which he has cast aside.**

Everything was heavy. Everything was new. The girl opened her eyes, unaware of her surroundings. Silver. She reached out before her, the liquid encasing her slowing her movements, meaning to touch the silver shell that trapped her. The girl marveled at her own movements, unable to turn away from what she saw. They were connected to her, and she could move them without even a thought. Five thin and frail points on each end; she amused herself for a moment by curling them around each other.

Hands. How did she know what they were called, or even how to use them?

**You have been created by light, yet your heart lay in darkness.**

Something inside was begging for relief, tightening as the moments passed. The girl looked to the shell again, startled by what she saw now. She knew the names of what she saw; dark red eyes staring at her in wonder, the naked figure in front of her covered by her own silver hair.

**Are you ready to enter a place where pathetic mortals rule, denizen of light and dark?**

Slowly, the shell began to crack, the change in pressure almost too much for her. Without the liquid, she collapsed on the floor. She gasped, the tightness of inside finally gone and leaving her begging for more air. As she noticed the hair that had fallen around her, she realized what she had seen was a reflection of herself.

**Do you wish to stay here? To return to darkness?**

She shook her head. The girl looked at her own body, wanting to never return to nothing. To leave this cold and frightful place far behind her and never look back.

A figure appeared before her, towering high above and covered in dark. Something wrapped around her, warming her cold body almost instantly.

**Then come with me, dear child, and I will free you from this place.**

* * *

I jumped awake, my breathing heavy as I gasped for whatever air I could have.

The dream was too vivid, too full of many memories I should never of had access to. It had been like someone had been playing a movie in my head, switching characters to whatever situation was most important. How was that even possible? I wasn't even faintly sure, and no ideas crossed my mind.

I had woken watching the anger my father was controlled by, screaming at my friends and forbidding them to see me. There were only a few things I remembered about that day, the cold and the pain the most memorable. I was told that I had tripped while searching for the boys, knocking my head and giving me a concussion. I had been bedridden for weeks, seeing no one but my father and Renee or her husband. By the end of it, I remembered how many drawings I had done, how they had been scattered around my room. They were all of me with my friends, and when my father had finally realized how lonely I was without them, he let them back into my life.

I remember crying when I first saw them again, showing them the picture I had just finished as they tried to apologize to me.

I was never mad at Kairi. It did take a while to befriend her, which apparently wasn't like me, but it was never her fault. After hearing what had happened, I was both happy and jealous. I was happy for the new girl to make such loyal friends, and happy for my friends to still be able to play anytime I was sick.

It was jealousy that won back then, my friends taken away from me. They barely ever came to wait for me to get better and wake up, and even our secret place was no longer ours. Even now, it made me uncomfortable to go there; only one of the drawings was mine, one I did after my birthday. I went by myself to see the cave, to see if it was true that they had gone without me. When I was looking at the drawings, Sora found me inside the cave. We started to draw each other, only because I couldn't refuse his attempts to make it up to me.

It was then that I gave him my lucky charm, since I had heard it was that item that led him to me when I was lost.

I wondered briefly if he still had it as I began to look around the room.

We were back in Traverse Town, this was the red room of the hotel. What had happened in the arena? How did I get back here? There were so many questions I had for Nara and Kyo, and I wondered where they were.

Sitting up, I noticed I was back in the white sleeping gown, my clothes folded on the chair beside me with the items sitting on top. My legs were like jello when I tried to stand, the muscles soft from sleep. After stretching for a moment, I was able to change back into my usual outfit.

A large crash startled me from outside, a familiar voice beginning to shout. It was muffled and frustrated, Nara's rage finding its way to me. The arguing voice that responded to her stopped my heart, the sound echoing through my whole being.

"Let me pass!" he cried out, quickly followed by another crash.

My steps were slow at first, unsure of what I was hearing. Sora was here! But how could that be? How had he gotten away from the island? Why were they fighting, what could possibly make him so angry? I was so happy, so confused, and so scared that I was dreaming.

Tears began to fall, hurrying now to the door at the end of the hall that led outside. Once the door clicked behind me, I grabbed hold of the railing, the sudden stop in momentum rushing to my head. I heard my name, I felt Kyo's arms wrap around my shoulders for protection; I didn't let him block my view, as I was too focused now on the fight playing out below me.

Nara and Sora were fighting, weapons colliding against each other before they jumped away. She wasn't only fighting Sora alone though, he had two allies which I had never seen. Animals standing and wearing clothes, one summoning magic at the same time as the other threw his shield in her direction. Watching her as she fought them reminded me of her dancing, though fatigue was beginning to show in her movements.

I looked to Sora, seeing the strain on his face. He seemed injured, but it wasn't too deep or serious. Nara wouldn't hurt someone needlessly, even if she was protecting me.

Neither of them looked like they were backing down; I had to stop them before it was too late! They readied to strike again the same moment my pleas left my lips.

"Stop this!"

My voice was dry, though even after so long of neglecting it in slumber it echoed through the district. I could tell Nara had heard me, but her momentum was too much for her to stop. Before she reached him, I watched as she forced one of her swords into a broken stone in order to halt. She slide further, the blade cutting deeper into the stone, until she finally slowed before him. Nara looked at him, her chest rising and falling quickly. When our eyes met, she looked so confused; I could only give her an apologetic smile.

Sora's companions were staring at me, and it didn't take long after for Sora's gaze to find mine as well. The weapon in his hand disappeared, his lips mouthing my name.

I smiled back, tears starting to fall down my cheeks. Finally! Sora was safe! It gave me so much hope that the others must be alright as well.

I tried to take a step to go to him, but whatever strength my legs had found was long gone. They collapsed, though Kyo had caught me before I could fall. I saw the panic in Sora's eyes as he hurried towards me, running up the stairs. Kyo had already helped me to my feet when Sora reached me, Nara hovering behind him. What was making her so nervous?

There was a moment where we were unsure of what to say; just staring at each other, making sure the other was alright. He had some small injuries I could see from Nara, but when he finally gave me his signature grin I realized nothing had changed the friend I had known my whole life.

"I'm glad you're okay." I said softly, content with my inspection.

"Are you?" Sora was on the ball today. Normally he wouldn't mention my health in any way, always trying to distract me from it. Maybe after everything that happened he had gotten a little worried about all of us.

I rested my hands behind me, locking my fingers like always when I was nervous. "I'm fine, I just needed some rest, that's all." Sora frowned, unsure if he believed me. "How did you find this place? What have you been doing all this time?"

For a few moments, we shared our stories. Sora introduced me to Donald and Goofy, telling me how he promised to help them find who they were looking for in exchange for helping him find me and the others. I explained that my situation was similar, that I was only there because Nara and Kyo had helped me more than they needed to. That made him smile and thank them, which seemed to finally make Nara relax just a bit until Sora mentioned Riku's name. When Sora started telling me how he had seen Riku earlier that day, Nara asked me what our friend looked like. My companions shared a look while we described our friend, but I didn't think to question them on it.

"Now we just need to find Kairi." I could feel my smile falter, worried for my friend. Neither of us had found anything about her, but we would have more of a chance with all of us looking. "I just hope she's alright." I tried to smile again, this time at Sora's new friends. "I feel better now, though, knowing that when I leave Sora will still have such reliable people by his side."

I watched the smile fall from Sora's face and regretted my choice of words. "Leave? Where are you going?" His eyebrows creased, a small pout forming on his lips. "I think it would be safer here, since you're still sick and all."

Shaking my head, I reached out for his hand. It wasn't often Sora became upset about something, but whenever I wanted to calm him down, to comfort him or make him listen, this would always work. It was something I had always done with the boys, even working on Riku if he over thought something. My father used to tease me, saying people were drawn to me, which like with him I could win someone over with a single touch. I knew it wasn't like that, not really. He always told me how he loved me more than anything the second he saw me, and even more when he was able to hold me for the first time. I just always hoped that if I put my heart into something and wished for my friends to calm, maybe they would.

"I can't stay here, Sora. Ill or not, I can't just hide away when people need me. We'll both look for Kairi, and we'll both follow our own path. Our hearts are connected, so no matter what, I will see you again. Then, at the end of our journey, we'll all go home together."

He thought about it for a moment, examining my face. I wondered what he saw there that intrigued him so, until he broke out into a smile.

"**How touching."**

My breath caught in my throat, my body suddenly covered in bumps. The voice was familiar to me, sending chills up my spine, yet I knew it was the first time I had heard it.

Sora was in front of her, weapon drawn while facing the same spot he had been in just ten minutes prior. I found myself drawn to his weapon, the excitement of seeing him now gone. A simple Keyblade, with a golden handle and a silver blade. My eyes followed the direction he raised his weapon, frozen by the cloaked figure I saw in the clearing.

The presence was not new to me, this figure emitted the same atmosphere at the siblings from the last world, but it was so much stronger. Almost suffocating. I was sure the others felt it as well.

Nara and Kyo were alert, their own weapons ready. It was Nara who called to the figure first.

"Who are you? What do you want here?"

The figure took a slight bow. Even before anything left his lips, I could feel his movements were directed towards me.

"**I am simply here to introduce myself to the Maiden, young Guardian." **

"Then tell me!" Sora shifted uncomfortably in front of me. Even I wasn't sure where my courage was coming from. "What is your name?"

The figure chuckled darkly, the air around us darkening with him. "**I have been called many names in the past, child. So many names, that I must have forgotten them.**" He raised his hands, lowering his hood and revealing his face to us.

His long black hair licked his shoulders, his blood red full with a hatred I have never known. And yet even with all of that, there was a sense of torturous amusement that shone in his eyes.

The sight of him terrified me, for reasons I couldn't place. His eyes locked with mine, and his lips curved into a grin.

"**You may call me Raven.**"

* * *

**Please review! 3**


	6. The Girl With Red Eyes

**Still have those KH feels, so here you go!**

**Please read and review!**

**~ Akane**

**P.S. Please read this in the 1/2 format~ I find it makes it a lot better to read~!**

* * *

**Chapter Six: The Girl With Red Eyes**

* * *

Raven.

The name rang through my mind, finding its way to the deepest parts of my memory. I could feel my body shaking as I met the strangers deep red eyes. The way my body was acting on its own seemed to make the others nervous, but the very core of my being trembled at the sight of him. Sora turned to me briefly, concern written on his face. It didn't take him long to look back to the enemy before us.

The stranger had begun to smirk in our moment of silence, content with our unease. His leather cloak was as black as night and stopped right about the ground, his long black hair tied back and reaching past his shoulders. His skin was much darker than my own, tanned, a color I had seen plenty of times before with the children who had spent too long in the sun.

It was the ancient sense in his eyes that trapped me, an evil that I couldn't even begin to understand. I was like an animal caught staring into a fire; all of my instincts screamed at me to turn and run, but my legs were frozen in their place.

_Do not be afraid_, the voice whispered, overpowering the remnants of his effect on me. Even still, the quiet voice seemed just as scared and upset as I was.

"Who are you?" I called out, surprised with the strength in my voice. "What do you want with us?"

The man, Raven, chuckled darkly. "Is it so wrong to introduce myself to the Maiden, her precious guardians, and her chosen hero of the Keyblade?"

"Maiden?" Sora mumbled, confused by the words. I wished in that moment that I had enough time before to explain the situation.

Instead I stepped up beside him and summoned my own Keyblade. The sight made him jump, looking from his weapon to mine.

I could feel the weapon vibrating through my fingers, as if it was trying to repel the force it felt in that man. Everything about me was fighting against his presence.

"Always quick to defend, I see you have not changed." Raven teased, a bitter hint in his tone.

"Why are you here?" I called to him, determined to have an answer.

"I am not here to fight you today, miss. I am simply here to witness with my own eyes." Raven lifted his hand in front of him, a small heart fading into view. The sight of it left an iron taste in my mouth, the strands of silver floating around it. "Also to warn you. Not everything is as it seems."

"What do you mean by that?" It was Sora's turn to ask the question.

"Unable to bear their own frailty, the hearts of the weak become twisted and ugly. So humans, self-aware as they are, strive to conceal this ugliness from others. Behind every heart lurks a dark and filthy side. Even if they project an image of goodness, the same is not necessarily true with regard to their hearts."

"Physical existence acts as a lid that not only hides, but restrains the darkness coming forth. Remove that existence, and all that would normally be kept hidden spills out. It's pathetic, really. Since what I've seen, humans will always be the same. They've made their worthless existences stand still in a never-ending reel of time."

"You're wrong, Raven!" I snapped back, bringing my left hand to my heart. "I don't know much about this past you speak of, but we won't let time stand still. I..." I turned back towards my two companions, and in unison they nodded. When I turned towards Sora and his own friends, I could see something in his eyes that lent me strength. "As long as we continue down the path we believe is right, we'll always grow stronger! Today more than yesterday, and tomorrow more than today! We won't give up!"

Raven chuckled again. "Foolish girl. If you think you can gain everything without even a single sacrifice, then it's simply an illusion only children can fool themselves with."

"Even if it's only an illusion, I promised myself I wouldn't run." I answered him. So many people were relying on me, a weak child who was granted power and protection. I wanted to be strong enough. "I will protect everything that I hold dear to me, no matter what the cost!"

"Very well," he answered, bowing his head slightly. "If that is the way you wish it, Maiden, I will leave."

As he talked, I could see darkness lift from his body and slowly begin to swirl behind him, creating a sort of doorway. Nara and Kyo ran ahead of us and towards the enemy as he stepped back into it. Raven smirked again, refusing to take his eyes from mine. His voice echoed now, his body disappearing into the darkness that enveloped him.

"And so it begins. Be warned, miss. Hold those precious to you ever closer, or you might find you have wasted all of your pathetic efforts."

Nara's voice cut through our silence, cursing at him and readying to strike. When she did, however, her blades only cut through the black door. It lingered in the air for a moment, before fading with its owner.

I could feel the relief flow into my body almost immediately, feeling weaker now than before. My Keyblade vanished in a flash of light and I fell to my knees, wishing for just a moment to rest. Watching as Nara continued to curse at the empty spot, I couldn't help but smile. Kyo sighed and said something to her that I couldn't hear, but it only set her off more. Was he tempting to calm her, or was he teasing her instead? It was likely the latter.

Sora watched them for a moment, hesitating before joining me on the ground. "They look like a fun group." When I looked to him, he grinned back to me and started to laugh.

I was glad Sora was like this, especially in times like that. We talked briefly while Nara tried to calm herself from her own anger, but not once did he bring up the stranger. Sora didn't even ask me who he was, or how he seemed to know me. Not even why I was being called the 'Maiden of Light', how I had come to wield a Keyblade. Nothing.

There was no point in asking, since he knew just as I did that neither of us had an answer.

"This is a bigger journey than we thought, huh." Sora grinned again, and I couldn't help but to smile in return.

What would it have been like if our plan would stay the same? The three of them would have met the next morning, with their bags packed and ready to go. How long would they wait before realizing I wasn't going to meet them? Would they come find me and have me explain? Or would they leave me behind?

They were all so strong. I knew if it was them, they had a much larger chance at freedom. I was so weak that my health would have only slowed them down.

"If the worlds are separated, the raft wouldn't have made it." I thought out loud, the thought had never crossed my mind before that moment.

Sora continued to grin, the point of my words not crossing his mind. "Probably not."

Nara was pouting now, arguing with one of Sora's companions. "Hey, duck."

"It's Donald!" I believe he replied.

Kyo had wandered back towards us, standing a few steps below us on the staircase.

"How do you feel?" he asked. I assumed he had given up on the other member of our team. Before I could answer, our smallest companion poked its head out from under Kyo's cloak and jumped towards me. Phiharo rubbed against my neck and I scratched under his chin in return. I giggled when his fur tickled my skin.

"Tired, but I'll be alright now." Truth was, I was broken. My muscles ached, my heart was heavy. The change in lifestyle was building up, the constant fighting catching up to me. I was trying to hide my pain behind my smile, but even then I could feel my legs shaking, begging me not to stand. I could tell in his expression that he didn't believe me, but he let it go.

"Can't you stay here?" Sora asked. It didn't seem to upset him as much this time he asked me. "If you're sick you should at least rest until you feel better."

"I'll be fine! Besides, these two will help me. I wouldn't have made it this far without them." Sora thought for a moment, then nodded and smiled when he was content with that answer.

Nara's laughter caught our attention. She waved at us before pointing toward Donald, who she had just been arguing with moments before.

"Hey! It's a magical duck!"

We joined her laughter along with her while it was Donald's turn to fume, yelling angry words I couldn't understand.

* * *

Through the darkness he ran, unsure where the path was leading him. He had hoped the open door had led him to safety, a place where he could hide until the danger had passed. Yet no matter where he turned, the older man knew he was trapped in the castle's library.

All he had wanted to do was find shelter from the outside, where the black monsters had caught wind of him as he tried to find resources for his family. He had known it was too dangerous to wander outside, but it was a risk he had needed to take. As he fled, he had managed to find his way to the old palace, forced to retreat inside where they refused to follow him. The old palace had been long deserted, but rumours passed between the villagers of dark shadows passing by the upper windows. Anyone who had wandered too close had never returned, and he finally understood.

After entering what seemed like the main hall, he believed he was finally safe from the creatures and took a moment to rest. It wasn't long before he heard soft footsteps so quiet he believed he was imagining them. The castle was surely playing tricks on him; he rubbed his temples, trying to distract himself from the sound and plan his next move instead.

The older man had sighed and looked up, the sight freezing him in his spot.

A few metres in front of him stood a young women with long silver hair tied into high twin ponytails, smaller pieces framing her face. Her outfit was strange to him, a long open coat that only closed around her chest with two thick belts. It split into two pieces halfway down her body and flowed down to the floor. Her shoulders remained as bare as her stomach, but the sleeves continued down her arms and cuffed at her wrists. Her shorts weren't long, but her legs were mostly covered by stockings. He had never seen one so young wearing such clothing.

She was looking ahead, taking a few extra steps before finally noticing the man. The scraping of metal caught his attention when she took a slow step towards him, realizing the girl was holding something in her right hand; she was dragging a spear as she walked, the blade resembling a bat. It appeared only slightly longer than her body.

What terrified him the most however, was the look in her eyes and the expression on her face.

The older man found it difficult to turn away from her dark red eyes. Everything about her appeared void of any emotion,

"Who are you?" She questioned slowly, as if she was unsure about her own words. The sound of her voice sent shivers down his spine. There was something cold about her tone that set his nerves off the edge.

"What are you doing here, child?" The older man managed to stutter. "Are you lost? This place is much too dangerous for someone so young!"

The reply was whispered softly without any change on her face. "You are the one who does not belong."

When her words were finished, the man watched her raise her weapon towards him and fled before she could strike.

That was how he found himself trapped inside the castle library.

Frantically he searched through the bookcases to find an exit, but the echoing sound of the girls' footsteps forced him to keep going. He grew more frightened the closer she got to him, constantly looking behind him. As a spiral staircase came into his view he checked again, only to be thrown back by a strong force he could not see.

When he finally had the strength to open his eyes, he realized his arm had been cut, the wound deep enough for the blood to flow down his arm. The girl was in front of him again, weapon raised to finish him. She made no move to do so, stood too still. Her emotionless eyes examined him, stopping at the sight of his blood at the end of her blade.

"Please… please, my family…" he begged, tears flowing free down his cheeks. He would be leaving them behind at the hands of one so young.

"Family?" She sounded the word slowly. For a moment he hoped he had managed to get through to her as she pondered the meaning of the word. "That word means nothing to me."

As the girl raised her weapon again, he closed his eyes and awaited the end. The older man waited, but nothing came. What he saw when he looked again was surprising, unsure if he was spared or not.

The tip of her blade was close to his body, only about a foot away from touching him. Her face hadn't changed, but she was looking to her right, and slightly behind her stood a boy around her age. The only similarity was his silver hair, but his teal eyes were full of a rage that reflected on his face. When he glanced at the man, the gaze sent a terrified shiver down his spine.

"Run."

The older man heeded those words and never looked back.

* * *

Riku grimaced, watching the girl finally lower her weapon minutes after the man had gone. She looked at him first, the lack of emotion on her face never changing, before she closely examined the wall where the man had been.

"You can't go around attacking people." Riku snapped, watching her reach out, her weapon disappearing with a short flash of light.

"The heartless would have even if I had not." The strange girl said quietly.

When she touched the wall Riku become curious and surprised, even disgusted by her actions. She was touching the blood, staring at the liquid on her fingers. For the first time, Riku watched her frown, her brow beginning to furrow. The girl was whispering to herself; he found even though he wanted to yell at her more, to have her understand what she was doing was wrong, he couldn't when she made such a face.

Was this girl so naïve? She was too much like a newborn to be of any help, yet he had been told to keep an eye on her.

"Kixru."

The girls head snapped towards the spiral staircase, emotion once again gone from her features. Riku followed her gaze, seeing the cloaked man standing part way down the steps. Maleficent came into view at the top a few seconds later.

"What is the meaning of this?" she questioned, eyeing the other two.

The man bowed slightly, "Ah, Mistress Black, it is a –"

"I thought I told you that those who wonder in here are to be left to the heartless?"

Riku looked at the girl, wondering if she had even been paying attention when she first met them. The man she called 'Master' didn't seem to spend too much time on her. She tilted her head a little towards him, and when she and Riku made eye contact he quickly looked away. Riku hated the red colour of her eyes.

"Your creatures were slow." The girl mumbled finally. It didn't take much longer for the girl to turn away and leave. Instantly Riku was annoyed, knowing that he'd have to follow her again, but stopped when Maleficent motioned him towards her.

"This child of yours is… strange." The crow resting on her shoulders made a noise to agree. "As long as she proves herself useful, she may stay in this castle."

The man chuckled, the darkness swirling around him as it did before, signaling his exit. "She has many things to learn, but she will prove to be a great companion for your little puppet."

"I'm not a puppet!" Riku snapped at him, frustrated with the man constantly using the term.

"If you say it is so, then so it must be." With those words said, mockingly as they were, the man vanished from their sight.

When he was gone, Riku turned to Maleficent, wondering what he should do next.

"You will need to keep watch of her." She told him. "He is most likely using her to collect information. Bring her with you when you leave."

Riku nodded, leaving after the girl to see where she went while cursing under his breath.

* * *

"I'll see you soon, okay?" Sora nodded, his grin wide on his face.

Several hours later we found ourselves in the first district, packed and ready to go. Aerith had given me a bag of healthy foods and drinks of her own creation which were supposed to keep me well. When I had first tried the green drink mixture, Leon and the others had come to see what the commotion was after Raven had disappeared. As happy as they were to see me awake, I could even see the relief in Leon's eyes, Aerith immediately sent me back to bed and brought me the drink. Nara had sat beside my bed, watching carefully. The taste was unexplainable and made me question if she was trying to cure or kill me.

Aerith smiled while I pretended to enjoy it, the second she turned away Nara and grabbed the glass and emptied the contents into a nearby potted plant. I whispered my thanks, grateful for her understanding. I felt bad that she had obviously gone through that before.

Now, my companions and I were preparing to leave for another journey since Leon had given his approval. I quickly glanced at him. He was with the others, leaning on the wall outside of Cid's shop. Our eyes met, his gaze intense. What was the meaning behind the look he was always giving me? Even earlier, when I had been sent back to rest, he had followed close behind me, flinching slightly when my legs had almost given out again. If Nara hadn't been holding onto me I swear he would have grabbed my arms and kept me up. When he was around me, his movements were awkward, and I often saw a sort of confusion in his eyes. From what I had heard from Nara, that was completely unlike him.

Sora and I were saying our goodbyes, since he was staying behind. There were still a few more things that he wanted to do in Traverse Town. Before I could ask him what that was, he told me to hold out my hands and close my eyes. When I was allowed to open them again, three small rocks rolled around my palms. They were each a different colour, pink, white, and orange. Each stone had a symbol inside that I couldn't understand, but they emitted a warmth that grew stronger when I held them closer to my heart.

"These guys will help you when you summon them." Sora explained really briefly. I thanked him for the gift, and told him I would see him soon.

When I finally turned to leave, I realized how much I wanted to stay, to be near that sense of familiar, of home. Seeing Sora was a relief on my heart, and to separate was more difficult than I could have imagined. It took everything I had not to turn back.

* * *

Sora sighed when Ami was out of his sight and the large double doors finally closed. He knew she would be alright, especially with those friends by her side. Ami was strong-willed, always doing her best whenever she could, but she was always putting herself down. Out of the four of them, Sora always considered her the strongest. Not when it came to races or fights, but where it really mattered. No matter what was wrong she was always smiling, always found the best of things; the silver-lining.

He remembered being allowed to see her for the first time in weeks after the accident. Every day after school had ended Riku and he would stay outside of her home, hoping that her father would let them in. They knew how furious he was with them, even if he would never express it.

Sora pictured the day he finally did let them inside, the fatigue in his eyes showing years instead of a few weeks. Ami's father had sighed, explaining that she was just too lonely, that as long as they understood what had happened they could see her. Sora had immediately begun to apologize while Riku promised he would never let her get hurt again.

With both boys bowing their heads, they were surprised when he had ruffled their hair and smiled at them, before leading the two to Ami's bedroom.

Ami's room was always clean and tidy, but that was the one time they had seen it so unorganized. Her floor was littered with papers, either crumbled or thrown as they were. The boys became nervous when they saw her sitting in her bed, back against the headboard. She was working on something in the sketchbook on her lap. Amy didn't even look up until her father had finished speaking.

"Ami sweetheart, you have some guests."

Her smile was instant the second she saw them, and the boys hurried to her side when she tried to get up.

"Sora, Riku!" Ami cheered. "You came to see me!"

Sora remembered smiling back for the first time since she was hurt, content with how healthier she seemed. Color returned to her skin, red flushed on her cheeks. Ami still wore wrappings around her head, but the smaller cuts and bruises had healed. Her eyes were bright; Sora never wanted to see them dark again.

"Of course we did!"

"Are you feeling better now?" Riku had asked.

"Uh-huh!" she nodded. "I've rested a lot, and I feel much better!" Ami giggled, holding her book out in front of her so they could see her work. "Look what I drew, you guys!"

That was one of the pieces Sora could picture the most. Ami's father had gotten the art framed to celebrate her recovery, and it hung on her wall even then.

It had been a very simple drawing, but Ami had always been talented, even when they were younger. Three figures were in the center of the page, hands connected together. The background had been colored to make it appear like they were resting on the sand. The figure in the center had the longest hair, colored brown; Ami. It was easy to separate the boys as well, between the brown and silver. Ami's eyes were the only ones that were closed.

"Sora?"

Sora jumped, the voice pulling him from his memory. "Huh?" He turned, noticing that Leon and the others had approached him. He knew they had been talking nearby while he had been saying his own goodbyes.

It was Aerith who had spoken. "Can we ask you something?"

Leon cut him off before he could even speak. "Ami told us she is often ill. Is this true?"

Sora nodded, frowning at the sudden curiosity. "Yeah, ever since we were little."

"When she is sick, what symptoms does she have?" It was Aerith who asked him.

Sora took a moment to decide how to respond, collecting the pieces of memories in his mind. "Well… she gets really warm, and it's hard for her to move. Whenever her fever gets too high, her eyes go white and she can't see anything. It's weird; no one on our island knows what it is. It was worse when we were little, but she still gets like that."

Silence followed his words while everyone turned to Leon, who was still watching Sora as if he was still thinking over the young boys words.

"What is it?" Sora questioned, confused with the silence.

Finally, Leon turned away from the group, headed towards the third district. When the door closed behind him, the intense atmosphere seemed to dissolve immediately. Aerith smiled, breaking the tension. "We think we have an idea about what Ami has, what's been making her so ill."

"What?!" The thought had Sora jumping with curiosity.

For as long as he could remember, no one on the island could put a name to her illness, let alone how to properly help her through it. No one else had shared the experience or could even begin to understand what it was like for her.

Sora, Donald and Goofy listened as Aerith began her story of a disease that started to spread on their world many, many years before.

* * *

Each step I took echoed louder than the last as I took in the sight. I could feel the sun, hear the water, and most importantly the smell of flowers that I could never forget.

Yet what I was seeing was different from what I knew, and it was the only hint to me that I was in a dream.

Through an archway covered with morning glories, was a garden larger than anything I imagined could ever exist. The cobblestone pathway led me through the center as I walked; a beautiful stone gazebo to the left, an even larger three layered fountain to the right.

So many flowers, so many colors. My feet stopped finally, looking to the flowers below me. Roses. Red and white together, stems wrapping around each other. They were always my favorite, and I used to beg my father to let me help him grow some. Even after years of practice, the roses I had grown had never looked as beautiful as these.

As I knelt down to touch the soft petals, I realized what felt so wrong. My hair had fallen into view, touching the white fabric on my knees. The end strands were curled, the color was the same, yet it wasn't my hair. I looked at my hands, longer than I recalled, yet they weren't mine. I was me, yet at the same time I was a stranger.

"My lady."

The voice called my attention and I turned to respond without a second thought.

"Ami!"

I jumped, smacking my head on the side of my seat. Nara's laughter echoed as I felt the bump, a few tears sliding down my cheek from the pain. When I finally looked to her, she was standing over me, a big grin on her face.

"Did you have to scare me like that?" I mumbled. Phiharo whined from my lap, just as upset about the disturbance as I was.

Nara rested her hand on my head. I could see the soft look in her eyes as she hid behind her teasing. "You just looked like you weren't having such a good dream, sleepy head. Besides, there's a world coming up. I figured you might like this one."

Stepping aside so I could see out the window, I knew immediately what she had meant. The small world in the distance was primarily blue, with a small circle in the center. It still wasn't home, as I understood it couldn't be, but there was a familiar sense to it that had me shaking in my seat.

"I take it we should land then?"

I nodded vigorously.

* * *

"Come on, come on! I want to see!"

Nara laughed at my excitement, Phiharo jumping around my feet. The small creature and I were both dying to stretch after hours trapped inside the Gummi ship. Nara seemed to enjoy flying, and Kyo had remained asleep the entire time without any movement. I was too excited and impatient, wanting to see the new world we had landed on with my own eyes.

After we landed, Kyo had gone ahead to take a look, saying he wanted to make sure it was safe enough. When he knocked on the door, giving his signal, the adrenaline took me and I burst out the door.

It took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the light, by my other senses kicked in just as they did in the dream, and I could feel a lump forming in my throat.

The taste of salt in the air.

The sound of small waves hitting the shore. Wind whistling through trees.

I knew this wasn't my island, even before my eyes did adjust. My senses were telling me it must be, but my heart screamed the opposite. It felt heavy in my chest, longing for home.

Turning to Nara I started to ask where we were, but her look surprised me. She was completely in awe with her mouth agape, eyes sparkling with the wonderful sight. I exchanged a quick glance with Kyo as we watched her take a few cautious steps closer to it.

"What's wrong?" I finally asked.

"It's beautiful." She said quietly. "The air tastes like salt…"

Kyo nodded, answering a question no one had asked. "Is this your first time seeing an ocean?"

I closed my eyes, letting my skin soak in the warmth of the sun. As I listened to their conversation, I started on a plan.

"I've heard of it, but it is not something many people have seen. It was rare for… some people to travel that far from the capital."

I slid off my flats before dropping my gloves and accessories with them. Lastly, I rolled my capris up above my knees. By the time they had noticed I was doing something, I had already reached Nara and was unbuckling her weapons.

Nara raised an eyebrow, watching me struggle at her side. "Now, what exactly are you doing?"

"If you've never seen the ocean, then I'm going to show you what you've been missing!" I laughed, resting her dual swords against a nearby palm tree, where Kyo had moved my own things without me noticing. "I've spent my entire life by the ocean after all!"

When I grabbed her hand and pulled her forward I could sense how nervous and reluctant she was. I smiled, remembering my first swimming lesson with my mother so many years ago.

It was a slow process. The sun had already started to set before we realized how much time had passed. Once Nara had been comfortable to go into the water, we had spent hours playing in the calm waves. Eventually one larger wave had sprayed her, and she decided she hated the taste of the water. We had moved on to trying to build a castle in the sand, but another wave destroyed our hard work.

Kyo was asleep again, resting against the same tree in the shade. Nara had started throwing rocks into the water as I sat and watched the sun edge closer to the surface of the ocean.

I felt horrible wasting time like this, but maybe it was a rest both of them needed. Aerith had told me what had happened when I was sick, how the two watched over me and protected me the entire time from an enemy we could not place. This wasn't much to make it up to them, yet I wondered if I had ever seen them so relaxed and content.

I rested on the shore, my back on the sand, and watched the sky. A few stars were beginning to shine, showing the first signs of night.

_If there are any other worlds out there, _Riku's words echoed through my mind, _why did we end up on this one?_

Closing my eyes at the feeling of pain in my chest, I imagined the times my friends and I had done this, side by side to watch the stars. We would have never imagined that they were the worlds we yearned for.

"_Did you ask?" _she remembered Riku had questioned once. It was when they had been curious about leaving the island for the first time, not long after Kairi had joined the group.

"_Yeah, but Papa was upset when I did." _I had pouted, reminded of my fathers' reaction when asking him about outsiders like Kairi and the legendary boy who had left so long ago. The boys had begun to wonder if Ami's late mother had been an outsider like them, having no other relatives living on the island. _"He just said Mama wasn't born here, and that she came from very far away."_

Even after that, they were treated the same every time someone was asked, but the villagers treated it like the subject was taboo.

I sighed, pushing the memories to the back of my mind. We needed to find a place to rest for the night, or we would be forced to sleep inside the ship even if I was fine with sleeping where I was. Neither Nara and Kyo would accept that as an answer, she knew it without even trying.

"Are you alright, lady?"

My eyes snapped open, meeting two brown orbs that hovered over me. When my sight had focused, I noticed that it was a small child, with hair as black as night and skinned beautifully tanned.

"Hello there." I smiled back, sitting up when she stepped back. I could make details when I was up, her cute little red dress covered in blue flowers and small black sandals on her feet. "Do you live on this island?" I asked her.

Nara had replaced her swords to her hips and Kyo was finally awake and alert.

The little girl stared at me for a moment, before bringing a small rectangular box to her face, covering her eyes. There was a quiet click before she lowered it again.

"You guys look strange." She stated simply. The small child noticed the weapons Nara wore and tilted her head at the sight. "Are you here for the festival?"

Festival! Perfect! The ones we had back home allowed us to be wearing costumes if we wanted, and the children were usually the only ones who participated. I recalled my father once, wearing the cat ears I had made in class that morning while Sora and Riku helped me create paper lanterns that were meant to sail the water that same night. It was an old tradition that celebrated healthy crops, and the sight of hundreds of lanterns on the water had always been one of my favorites.

Nara's eyebrows creased, confused at the little girls words. "Festival? No we're—"

"Yes!" I cut her off as the little girl looked to me. "We came to see the festival!"

The small girl seemed suspicious, but she nodded in agreement. "It makes sense. Lots of people come around the festival." Turning away, she called out a name, looking around as if she's lost something.

While Nara asked her what was wrong, a chill went down my spine.

I stood, understanding what that feeling meant. I motioned to the child once Kyo noticed my movements.

"Little one," he said to her, picking her up and hiding her underneath his cloak. She fought for a moment, until she could see why our mood had changed so suddenly.

The heartless began to form around us. Moments later Nara and I were dealing with them quick enough, struggling with their numbers despite them being the weaker types. I was worried about the small girl in Kyo's arms, though he was fighting with one arm just as well as with both. The sword was heavy; I didn't know how long he could keep it up.

When there were only a few enemies left, I heard a rustling in the bushes beside me. Panicking, I readied to strike, but stopped myself when the creature came into view. Our eyes met, and I stared at it with the same curiosity reflected in its own.

"Stitch," I whispered along with the memory in my head. It wasn't like the voice, it was more like a feeling.

Like I had met the small, blue creature before.

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